Good Sleep

Sisters Sleeping it off
Originally uploaded by SunFlowery.

Much like this photo of our now full-size kittens, Bob was able to get some really good sleep last night. I don’t know if it’s because he was exhausted from all he went through over the holiday weekend or if it’s because of his new Cuddle Ewe under quilt. Whatever it was, I am thankful. He does really like his Cuddle Ewe though. He said it’s like sleeping on a cloud and it makes his hospital bed feel like a bed made for a king.

I forgot to mention that for Christmas dinner, I made spaghetti pie. You make your noodles and sauce like you normally would. When the noodles are done, you mix them with 2 already beaten eggs and a half cup of parmesan cheese. Then you spread that “crust” into a pie plate and top with ricotta cheese and your sauce (I added meat to our sauce). Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes then add mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes. It was a new recipe for us and quite tasty. Upon completion of his portion, Bob declared that I can make it again. Heh. We thought a meal of some kind of Italian food would be a nice Christmas Eve dinner tradition. Not that every year will bring spaghetti pie. I was going to make a baked ziti but found this recipe and thought it sounded easy and yummy at the same time.

Last night I made my friend Laura’s recipe for “date” chicken (a recipe she would make for men she was dating. I worked because she’s married with 2 kids now.). Basically it’s just chicken breasts coated in a mixture of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning and then baked. After baking for 30 minutes, add a mixture of butter, white wine, and parsley. It’s one of our favorite dishes. I added mashed potatoes, some stuffing, and green beans with rosemary. I haven’t been really doing a lot of cooking for Bob lately and I thought that having a couple of days off would be a good reason to get back into the cooking swing of things.

I thought I had missed my annual opportunity to watch It’s a Wonderful Life. Imagine my surprise and delight to find it showing on NBC on Christmas Eve. Bob hadn’t yet come home and dinner was made, just not baked. So I settled in to watch one of my all-time favorite movies. I see it every year and every year I cry when Mr. Gower beats George and at the end when George sees the impact his life had had on his friends and family. This year I was struck by the determination Mary had in loving George her whole life, even when it seemed as though he might move far away. I also grieve with George the loss of what he thinks of as his dream and purpose. He intended to set out to make a name for himself. He wanted to build the large, the huge, and the grandiose. Instead, circumstances and fate seemed hell-bent on keeping him in Bedford Falls where through determination, integrity, generosity, and grit he builds bridges of love, friendship, hope, and faith. In the tangible, he builds houses and homes for those otherwise reduced to living in slums or renting. In reality, he builds men and families and friendship. He truly is the richest man in town and I always hope by the end of the movie he actually sees that. I always wanted an epilogue or sequel that shows how his quiet, steady life affected his family, friends, and town 5, 10, 25 years later. Man, I love that movie.

I spent the better part of yesterday downloading iTunes and then using an iTunes gift certificate to download songs onto my computer. Everyone in the world must have been doing the same thing since it took me several tries to download some songs. I kept getting an error message saying there was a problem with the store and to try back later. I even exported songs from some of my CDs. I think I might need to clean off my computer to find more memory. I have TONS of photos and now lots of songs stored on my hard drive. I think I need to invest in a jump drive to back everything up so I don’t lose it. I can’t wait until my iPod arrives and I can then synch it to my computer and then get my music to go. Bob and I had fun rocking out to some of my old 80’s music and some of the new tunes I had downloaded.

It’s Tuesday but it feels like Monday. Oh, how I wish it were Friday though. Still no word on the funeral/memorial service details for Bob’s dad. Bob is doing remarkably well. I think he’s been grieving the loss of his dad for a long time. Bob’s dad left their family when he was quite young and he still grieves that loss. Then, later, when Bob was older and reconnected with his dad, well, it wasn’t the magical Disney reunion and that hurt as well. Still, Bob loved his dad and was able to convey that to him more than once in that past 10 years, so that’s good. We actually expected Bob’s dad to pass around this time last year after a bout of cancer and subsequent surgery and treatment. The fact that he pulled through and lived an active life for 11 more months is really a testimony to his strength and determination to live the best life he could up to the end. Thanks to those of you who have sent your condolences. I have passed the on to Bob and he wanted me to say thank you. So, thank you!