Saturday, April 30, 2011

Petunias... I like 'em!

I don't think I actually knew a petunia from a persimmon until this year.  It's amazing how the threat of an early demise makes you really LOOK at things.  And I have decided that I really love petunias.



And happily, they seem to like growing here, as do Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, and Verbena.  It's good to be able to have color in your desert garden.  




Above is the raised flower bed we put on the front porch.  It's got two Bougainvillea, some ice plant, and a bird of paradise.  The shot below that is one of the ice plants, and below that, one of the bougainvillea.  I'm hoping that when the bougainvillea get bigger, I can train them to cascade over the front porch wall.  They are just babies yet, though. I am enjoying watching all the plants grow this year, especially the 'farmland.'  :)


Wendy and I had our first video chat this morning, using Google TALK.  Can't get any easier than that.  My Xoom did a nice job.  It was very smooth video.


Well, that's all for this post.  It's a glorious day outside, but my eyes are watering like crazy from allergies, even though I take the drugs I am supposed to take. :P


Love to all!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Reading and Writing

Today the air was full of ozone and I am very tired.  We are in the mid-90’s, temperature-wise today, but tomorrow, we’ll get more wind and plummet down to the LOW 90’s. J

One of my daily habits is to go read the news on Google News.  I like to be able to pick and choose from what publication I read about certain topics.  Plus, you can customize what news you get; for instance I pull in articles related to Mesa, Arizona. 

As I became less fearful of the initial Esophageal Cancer diagnosis, I added a section to Google News to bring me all the articles about it.  This is a double-edged sword in that I get many obituaries, but also get to read about new treatments and find out about other people and how they are progressing with this cancer. 

One thing I was surprised about was the number of people that through the progression of the disease lose their ability to talk.  I would truly be hurt to lose my power of speech, but worst of all would be to lose the ability to sing.  Despite my lung disease having robbed me of a lot of lung capacity, I still enjoy singing, after a fashion.  Singing lifts your spirits and makes your outlook on life so much brighter. 

But, that’s something I’m not going to be concerned about.  If it happens, I’ll find something else to lift my mood.  I’ll paint more!  I’ll write even MORE!  I’ll play more World of Warcraft!

We just had a lovely dinner of Asparagus, Ahi Tuna and Texmati Brown rice with rye and barley.  I really, REALLY love asparagus.  When we were young, we used to have Sunday breakfast after church at my two Aunts' house.  In the spring, Aunt Lottie would walk us down to a neighbor whose back garden was filled with asparagus and we would be able to pick enough for that night's dinner.  It was a major treat, as it wasn't often in those days, that asparagus was affordable, OR available.  I think it's still one of my very favorite veggies.

Here's a closer picture of my mom's sundial.  Those petunias are growing like weeds; very colorful and lovely weeds, though. :)  And all that riot of lavender in the background is very fragrant verbena. 

Take care, all... have sweet dreams!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Squash Pictures

Well, I got home to an enormous amount of work completed on the 'farmland.'  Now we have tomatoes, onions, artichokes, brussels sprouts, collard greens and spinach.  A couple more chili plants have been added, and a beautiful black opal basil.  Let's hope it tastes as good as it looks. :)


Here is one row of the squash.  Looks pretty sandy and dry, I know, but it was 89 degrees when I got home.  We don't water until the sun is heading down, otherwise half of it would evaporate before it did its job.


This is the black opal basil, below.  He just got planted today.






Here is a further out shot of the entire 'farmland.'  Don't worry, it'll get a good watering soon.  The wind is blowing like crazy out there right now!


And here is a picture of another part of the back garden.  My mom's sundial is there, surrounded by petunias.  That's where I will be too, someday... but not anytime soon!


Finally, here is a photo of my sweet baby dwarf lemon, Fred.  Yes, I name my trees.  
If all this grows, we're going to eat like kings.. or rabbits, says Jane. :)


Peace to all!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Perfect Weekend

The weather this weekend was awesome!  Warm, but with a cool breeze; sunny, bright... perfect. :)  But those triple digits are on the horizon.  Alas, that's summer in the desert, at least this desert.

I'm charging up the batteries in the digital camera so that I can take some pictures of my 'farmland.' Sadly, I didn't mark which squash is where.  We don't actually care; we'll just eat what grows.  I did see signs of life on the second furrow, which is one squash and several chili pepper plants.

Happily, still no word on that PET Scan.  This is a VERY good sign!  Of course, it could also be that Dr. Fastenberg only works on Tuesday and Thursday, and hasn't seen the report yet.  I'll go with the first thought.  Besides, he probably had it before he went home last Thursday.  I did the darned thing early enough.

Anyway, not much to report on the health front, but on the FUN front, my Xoom came today, and I LOVE IT!  Got my Kindle app loaded, got signed into HBO GO, so infusions should just FLY by, now. :)

Good health and long life to all!

Friday, April 22, 2011

A Trifle of Bananas

All of the squash plants have sprouted.  We are looking forward to being very creative with this year's crop of produce.  Since the tiller I bought has done such a stellar job, we're thinking of going for carrots and parsnips, too.  We still have plenty of room to grow, so to speak.

We just made a banana trifle with praline crumble within the layers.  It's in the 'fridge and won't be touched until tomorrow.  Too bad we can't grow bananas here, for we already have the tarantulas!  In fact, just yesterday, Jane found a tarantula in the back yard.  Peachy.  You KNOW how I feel about hairy-legged spiders.

Someone asked me today if I had the results of the PET Scan yet.  Well, *I* don't have it, but I'm sure Dr. Fastenberg has seen it.  I would think that if there is no problem, we won't even discuss it until May 5th, when I see him before my infusion.  So, if someone from Ironwood were to call before that, I'd surmise it was because something 'problematic' was found, and we'd have to go back to the toxic chemos.  Gods forbid.

Wendy's been doing clinicals in a palliative care ward at her local hospital.  I know it's hard on her, because I think she's equating a lot of what she is seeing with what will be my future.  In fact, she asked me today if her talking about her time there was bothering me.  Actually, it's not.  And the reason is that I understand what's probably in my future, and though I'm not looking forward to it, it's simply another part of this 'adventure,' as my mom would call it.  I can't project myself there; each of us will deal with what's presented to us in our lives in our own way.  When the time comes, I will deal with it.  Just make sure I get lots of pain-killers, please. :)

Oh, and I bought myself a birthday present today, although my birthday isn't until the 6th of May.  But I got myself a Xoom.  I'm so excited about it!  It will be such fun to have during infusions, and waiting on doctors, etc.  I have to wait until Tuesday for it, though.  I am SO impatient. :D

So, this coming week, I'm going in to work on Tuesday and Thursday.  Wednesday I have to go have some bloodwork.  I always look forward to seeing my local Phlebotamist!  Ahh, I shall take my Xoom with me, for although I have an appointment, there might be a bit of a wait, and besides, I tend to arrive for my appointments with obsessive earliness.  That's a trait I inherited from my father; punctuality to the nth degree.

For those of you that celebrate, Happy Easter!  I remember one year Wendy and I, not being one of those that celebrate this holiday, went bowling.  We had all the lanes at our disposal. :)

Love to all!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Pac Man to the Rescue!

You know, it’s hard not to become obsessive about your health when every day you have things to monitor, numbers to process, and countless tests to get done.  Really, I do not want to have to dwell on cancer, lung disease and diabetes but in order to keep things under control, you HAVE to monitor the numbers and take drugs and treatments accordingly.

So, today I headed to Ironwood Cancer and Research Center in Mesa for my PET scan.  This was try number three, and let me tell you, every morsel that went into my mouth for a WEEK was eaten with this scan in mind.  After two tries and two misses, I wasn’t going to miss THIS ONE.  As soon as I got out of the shower this morning, I checked my glucose.  My pink Ultra Mini, which of the two of my glucometers tends to read higher, said that I was at 112.  WoooHOOOO!

I felt much more confident on the drive out to Ironwood.  There was NO WAY they were going to tell me my glucose was too high THIS TIME!  Of course, just in case, I took both of MY glucometers with me. J  Nothing like a little insurance, I say.

I had the same tech this time, and he was a peach.  He was thrilled when his meter showed 144.  Yeah, see, the meters over there really run high.  But I didn’t care, as long as it was well under 200.  He got my IV going; apparently you can’t put the radioactive glucose through your port, darnit.  But he did a FINE job with that IV, and then got me a heated blanket, and I just kinda dozed there for a hour while the radiation had fun searching for evil things within my body.

And suddenly, I started visualizing the irradiated glucose as Pac Man and the Ghosts, chasing all over my body’s grid, and were they ever getting annoyed, as they could find NOTHING!  After my hour of sitting quietly with only Pac Man and his pals as my entertainment, it was time to head into the giant donut of despair. (It’s not that horrible, I just like alliteration.)

If the last PET Scanner was quiet, this one was a complete mute.  One thing I will say about the equipment at Ironwood:  It’s top-notch, as are the people.  Still, you have to lie on that unrelenting slab of what looks like black glass, with only a lift under your knees.  This is supposed to be beneficial to your lumbar area, and it certainly helps, but WOW, when it was time to get OFF the table, I could barely move.  The scan itself took about twenty minutes and thanks to my Xanax, I was fine, mostly.  I really, really hate being in tubes, even if they are mostly donuts.  This donut was THICK!  Hence, quite a length of ME was within the donut hole.

Happily, while being scanned, I reconnected with Pac Man and the boys and they continued their fruitless frolic about my body.  Now, let’s hope this visualization stuff does some good.  I had fun with it, actually.  I’m looking forward to the next Herceptin treatment, where I may just exchange my Apache Attack Helicopters for Pac Man. :)

Love to all, be safe, enjoy life!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Spring; it's a Killer

With our pollen counts sky-high, and the winds blowing like crazy, it's not surprising that my asthma is being very problematic.  And for some reason, I've been dizzy and a bit nauseated, almost as if I've got vertigo, or something of that ilk.  But, yes, I did just have my Herceptin infusion on Thursday, so it's probably just an off-shoot of that.


The chilies are planted, and the last of the squash, which was butternut, I think.  We still have the spinach and the herbs to go.  I think we'll put the spinach in its own bed.  As for the Dahlias, we have to prepare the old veggie beds.  For instance, I still have mint growing there, and I want to keep that.  Hope the Dahlias like the company. ;)


I just finished watching the first episode of "Game of Thrones" on HBO.  I adore Sean Bean, but I don't think I can watch any more of this.  And I won't say why, in case any of you want to watch, but haven't yet.  Suffice to say, I was perturbed quite a bit by the last five minutes.  That's not to say I wasn't glued to my TV for the whole thing.  It was good, if a bit crude at times.  Perhaps I'll try one more episode and see how it goes.  




This is the lovely hunter, Basmati, flying across Howling Fjord on a flaming harpoon.  Yes, Basmati, and all her pets are named after types of rice:  Arborio the crab, Jasmine the wind serpent, Risotto the Blue and Gold Macaw, and um... Uncle Ben the bear.  :)


Have a safe and happy week, all!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Squash is Our Friend

Yesterday evening, we planted the squash.  I think we started out a little late this year, but it was all in the cause of making sure our soil was prepared.  So we'll have to keep a keen eye on our crops this year.  


Jane was out at one of the home stores today, and came back with Dahlia bulbs, so those are going to be planted in last year's veggie beds.  Later today will see us (I'll supervise) getting the irrigation set up and finishing up the sowing of the remaining crops.  We sound like such farmers. :)


Thursday, I had my Herceptin infusion, and my Medical Oncologist found me in the infusion ward. I told him, happily, that my PET was rescheduled.  He said to make sure I bring my own glucometers, and not to worry, I definitely will!  Yes, my PET scan is scheduled for Wednesday.  I'm going to go into work on Tuesday and Thursday of this coming week.  I am SO very happy with my ability to go places on my own.  Autonomy is a gift; don't take it for granted.


On Monday, I'm going to go work on the GM reimbursement with my Chevy dealer.  Bill Bonham is the best sales person with whom I have ever worked.  He follows up WAY after the sale.  If I live long enough to need another new car, that's the man from whom I'm buying it. :)


So, life is settling down to what's now normal for us, and we're enjoying every day.  Soon we'll have to decide what to do with tons of squash, and isn't that a happy dilemma to have?  I know a local food bank that will probably take whatever we have to spare. 


Love to all!





Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Jane's OK!

She's on her way home, even as I type.  All tests were passed, but they think she may be getting some acid reflux, and so are trying her on a month's worth of Prilosec.  Gotta watch that acid reflux.  I hear if you don't get it under control, you can get esophageal cancer. :P


I've discovered it's quite a production to get myself ready to go in to the plant to work.  First, and probably most importantly, one must be groomed.  Oh, and of course, wearing something other than one's 'jammies.'  Then you have to make sure you have something to eat for breakfast, and something to eat for lunch.  You must take coffee, and something else to drink during the day.  Then, you have to assemble all your drugs and drug paraphenalia (all prescribed and legal, of course.)  


Eventually, you make your way out to the SUV, where you load up the scooter, put all the stuff you assembled into the 'trunk' that Nancy made for the scooter, worry that you must have forgotten SOMETHING, then climb into the Equinox and head in to work.  But wait.  OH CRUD!  Where is my badge?  It's still in the reader in my laptop.  On my desk.  In my library.  At home. Sigh.


Still, as this becomes a more frequent occurrence, it'll all become rote, normal and progress like clock work.


Jane is home!!!  Even the dogs are excited by her return.  I have given her a very long, heart-felt hug.  Now we get her settled, and life can get back to normal.  And I'll go do my Herceptin infusion tomorrow.  Life really is good.  Enjoy it!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Update on Jane

Bear in mind that Jane is currently at the Veterans' Administration Hospital, and is once again going to be there overnight.  They didn't get the barium procedure done today, and theoretically, it will be done tomorrow.  Um hmmmm.


She's in decent spirits ... considering. ;)  Still hurting, but she'd really like to come home.  I can empathize.

Ai Carumba

Well, we had a little scare here.  Jane's currently in the hospital, undergoing some tests.  I'm hoping she can come home today.  She had some pain in her throat, but not a sore throat, and there was concern that it could be heart-related, and thus the tests.


So far, all heart type tests are coming back fine.  Now they are looking at gastric things.  One thing I will say is that they are not leaving any stones unturned at this point.  They were about to do something with barium the last time I spoke with her.  And if something were to appear, they were going to scope her.  I just tried calling, but got an elderly man, quite obviously well-drugged on pain killers, and he hung up on me. :D


Now I am waiting for the scooter lift installation place to call and tell me to come get my Equinox.  And apparently, I am waiting in vain for someone to call to reschedule that PET Scan.  I guess I'll call again, or just tell Dr. F that they dropped the ball, and all hell will break loose. ... am I that mean?  Depends on the day. ;)


I'm really tired, for as you can imagine, I did not sleep very well last night.  Jane and Nancy headed to the ER around 4PM, and no one called until about 7, and even then there wasn't much to tell.  I think it was 10PM when Nancy called and said they were keeping Jane in the hospital.  Blech.  The Big House.  At least she had her Nintendo DS with her. ;)


I hope that Mobility place calls soon... I want to go to work tomorrow!


Live long and prosper, all.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Cultivation Begins

Since we have decided to increase the size of our vegetable garden this year, we have a LOT of soil to prepare.  The two original vegetable patches will, this year, become flower beds.  I adore color in my garden, and that's plenty of room for a plethora of flowers.


I found an electric cultivator at Amazon; Home Depot didn't have any in stock, and I get free shipping from Amazon, so it all evens out.  It's been working like a champ!  We have two sections of the garden ready for planting, but we haven't got the drippers laid out yet.  Sisters have opted to add some moisture control soil to our native soil to help mitigate the loss of said moisture due to our hot desert climate.


I actually did a little of the work; I raked the decomposed granite away from the planting beds.  For about 20 minutes and I was done.  But it felt good to participate  in the readying of our garden.  And it's a glorious day!  There's a nice breeze, puffy little white clouds sailing by, intermittent aircraft heading in to Sky Harbor Airport, birds and butterflies!


Now we have to figure out what kinds of flowers we can actually grow besides Lantana and Verbena, hibiscus and bougainvillea. :)  Maybe we'll take a trip over to Moon Valley Nursery.  They have very high quality plants.  That's where my dwarf lemon tree, Fred, was born.  I had a talk yesterday with Fred.  I told him he'd better get a move on and flower soon.  I'd like to have his lemons before I have to tell him adios. ;)  Since the area where we will plant flowers is relatively shady, we should be able to get something pretty.  I hope. :)


So, I'm very, very excited about what we're planting this year:  

  • Basil -- needs watching.. don't let it flower!
  • Mexican Grey Squash
  • Early White Bush Scallop squash
  • Burgess Buttercup squash
  • Zucchini!
  • Straightneck Early Yellow squash
  • Waltham Butternut squash
  • Table Queen Acorn squash
  • Poblano peppers
  • Anaheim Chili
  • California Wonder Bell Peppers
  • Jalapenos
  • Cubanelles
  • Serranos
  • Thyme
  • Tarragon
  • Italian Flat-leaf Parsley
  • Brussels Sprouts 
  • AND... SPINACH!!!!!
So, you see, we'll be in vegetable heaven!

On the agenda for this week; I had better get that damned PET Scan rescheduled before I see Dr. Fastenberg, or he'll yell at me. :D  Car's getting the lift put on it on Tuesday, Nancy will be 54 that day.... old bat...I'll go into the plant on Wednesday, using the new lift for my scooter, and then this week, it's Herceptin Thursday.  A full week ahead.  :)

Live long and prosper, all!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Gloomy, and yet....

...it's a treat, if only because it's not over 100 degrees.  Oh yeah, that's coming, but good lords, not in April, please. :)


Today, I have ankles.  Another thing for which to be thankful.  YAY for Lasix.  Also, today... I did... (drum roll inserted here)... ELEVEN minutes on the NuStep!  It felt really good, I must say.  Had an average rate of 84 steps per minute.  Certainly not my best rate ever, but I did it!  I was about to say 'not my best rate, but ... considering.'  Let me tell you about that trailing CONSIDERING.  :)


I had gone to my pulmonologist for a follow up after that bout of bronchitis.  He's been very interested in the whole esophageal cancer battle; he asks about all my treatments and ensures that he gets reports from the RO and the MO.  So, as I was leaving, he tells me, "You know, I'm just amazed at how you are doing.  And you look so good,.... considering."  I'm laughing now, even as I type it.... yeah, considering.... considering my skin looks like bleached parchment paper, and considering my hair is really thin and goofy-looking, and I have weird tattoo marks that show, pretty much no matter what I wear... yeah, considering... I look good!  Hehehehehe.  Really, he's being very encouraging and I do truly appreciate that.


I have no great plans for the weekend, other than perhaps supervising the sowing of our crops.  Although, it could rain tomorrow and it could still rain today... hence the gloominess, but hey, that'll only make the soil easier to cultivate. :)


Well, that's it for today.  I've got to go figure out something to make for dinner, which will probably involve chicken and Israeli cous cous.  Have a lovely weekend, all you dear readers, friends and family!



Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Ultrasound!

When the temperatures started hitting the upper 90's, I started getting some edema in my feet and ankles.  I've had it before, but doing all my physical therapy worked wonders, and I hadn't had it for two years.  Now that it was back, it wasn't surprising, considering I don't get anywhere NEAR the exercise I used to.


Still, I thought I should tell my doctor, because I didn't have any Lasix anymore, and I really didn't want the edema to get out of hand.  He said to come in.  I asked when, and he said NOW.  So, I headed out to see him, and he decided that because cancer patients can become susceptible to deep vein thrombosis, I should have an ultrasound on both of my legs.


And that I did, at 4:30 this afternoon.  Yeah, my primary care doc doesn't fool around. :)  Happily, nothing was found in either leg; no creepy blood clots, YAY!  Of course, I had had a conversation with my leg veins, earlier in the day, and told them, that really, I had all these other things with which to deal, so perhaps they could find it in their venous hearts to give me a break.  They must have agreed.


I was a happy camper as I left the imaging place.  One less problem, thank the deities.  I shall take my Lasix and my potassium and keep this edema in check, and hopefully, all will be well.


As you might imagine, it was a stressful day, and I am pooped.  I don't think I could get an entire minute done on my NuStep, today.  An early night sounds fabulous.


Oh, and I would like to thank my dear friend, Julie Challis, for sending me the wonderful card I got today.  You, dear, are so creative.  The card was beautiful!  And you made me cry, and laugh.  "Slumgullion" indeed. :)  I love you, my friend.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Phew!

Well, I feel like I just did 45 minutes on my NuStep, but in actuality, it was FIVE minutes.  You know, it took me almost two years to work up from seven minutes on no resistance, to 45 minutes at level three resistance.  With only 38% lung function, I was really doing very well.


Alas, during the heavy-duty chemo and radiation, it was hard enough to get out of bed most days, and so the NuStep got a little dusty.  But I don't want to let it STAY dusty.  I credit my NuStep with making me strong enough that I survived my chemo and radiation.  And now, I will just have to start building up my endurance again.  Yes, that last bout with bronchitis certainly didn't help.  


On the exciting news front, my scooter lift is going to be installed on Tuesday of next week!  Even better than that, GM has a program that reimburses you for adaptive and mobility devices installed on their cars, up to $1000.  THANK YOU, General Motors!  A friend once told me that somehow, any time she needed money for something important, she always found a way to get it.  This program through General Motors could not have come at a better time.


Despite the fact that we have already had our first 100 degree day, this week is supposed to be rather lovely.  But the wind was blowing and there was a fire in our neighborhood, and I had bit of an asthma episode.  Spring is really springing around here.  Although I am not allergic to orange blossoms, the things to which I *am* allergic seem to bloom at the same time as those orange blossoms...and thus, itchy eyes, and lots of wheezing.  Let's hear it for the ability to nebulize at home. :)


So, I shall try to work up to ... oh... ten minutes on the NuStep by the end of the month.  A woman's got to have goals.  Sweet dreams, all. :)

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Hominy

Growing up in a multi-cultural family... kinda...we had interesting food to eat.  My dad's family were Californians from the 1700's, by way of Spain and then Mexico.  My mom's family were very much Heinze 57'ish; Irish, English, Welsh and Swedish.  Mom would make food items with strange names.  What the heck is 'Slumgullion?'  I don't even know if it's real, or something she made up.


But she's the one that would come up with things like chicken and dumplings, ... good, solid fare, mostly tasteless.  Dad sent her to my godmother to learn how to cook Mexican and thank the gods, she had a great aptitude for that.


One of those things she learned to cook was Menudo.  I know... many of you out there turn up your noses at the very thought of cooking with tripe.  And honestly, I would never eat the tripe.  What I loved about the Menudo was the hominy and the broth.  I'd grab a tortilla and use it as a conveyance device to get those little corny morsels up to my mouth, along with the broth that had soaked into said tortilla. Still, you can't make Menudo taste like Menudo without the tripe.  Needless to say, I have never made Menudo.


But Posole!  Now here is something you can make WITH hominy and pork.  Safe, sane pork. :)  


So, since I don't make menudo, and I still love hominy, I try to find things to do with it.  Tonight, we're using hominy as a side dish.  Sisters and I just put together a concoction in the slow cooker that contains green chilies, diced onions, grey Mexican squash, yellow squash, hominy (YAY!), sour cream, salt, pepper and a Mexican shredded cheese mixture.  I have made it before, so at least I know it's edible, but I have to wonder, if my mom had whipped up something like this, would it be called a 'slumgullion?'


Oh holy carp!  I just googled Slumgullion, and it's not a made up word.  It's FOOD!  It's Slumgullion!  But, let me tell you, what mom made had no relationship to what's in that recipe.  Ok, check this link... it makes MUCH more sense!  Dang, who doesn't love etymology?  And after reading that article, I am reminded of something else Mom called Mulligan stew.  I can't remember what that was and I am guessing it's because I tend to let unpleasant memories fade as much as possible.  Please, if you are a lover of the REAL Mulligan Stew, do not be perturbed; I am sure what Mom made had absolutely no resemblance to the real thing. Oh yes, for sure, Mom never made THAT.


Hominy is apparently a food item that can bring back many memories of my childhood, as you can see from the preceding.  I miss my mom and her weird use of the English language; sammiches, HOUSEpitals, and a phrase I hesitate to share with the general public, but it has something to do with haemorrhages and is totally revolting, as she exhorted people not have have one.  Very strangely, as she was the only person I had ever, thankfully, heard use that phrase, I found out  from my dear friend Polly, that HER mother used the same phrase.  I shudder.


And this is what I am thinking about on this Saturday afternoon; Mom, hominy, Slumgullion and menudo.  It's good to be American. :D


Love to all!!!



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