Tradition

My rings and my Babci's rings

My parents recently moved closer to us, so they are now two and a half hours away instead of six and a half! That definitely has its perks... especially since my grandparents are visiting. I haven't seen my Babci and Poppy since our last trip to New Jersey which was Memorial Day 2014 for my best friend's wedding. Too long. My Poppy is 93 and my Babci is now 90. I am so so blessed to have them around still and I hate that our visits are so infrequent. I call them every week at least. So my mom and dad recently decided to bring them down for an extended visit and I made sure the first weekend I did not have work we drove up there.

For years my Babci and I tried to plan a time for me to learn how to make pierogies from scratch, and this past weekend it finally happened! Ryan and I drove up Friday night. Saturday morning he and my dad went kayaking and fishing while three generations of women (and a Dup) took over the kitchen for pierogie making. My mom knows for the most part how to do it, so she was like our sous chef, while Babci taught me. There was no measuring cups or spoons... everything is done by eye and by feel. It may take me a few times on my own to get it right, but at least now I know. And I have this entry to coincide with this amazing memory.

First we started the mashed potatoes. I thought we'd have all these nice pictures, but my mom added her own touch. I know how to make mashed potatoes regularly, but instead of using milk for them we used sour cream. Next came the dough.

We started with about five cups or so of flour added an egg, then half a container of sour cream. It was worked by hand and feel. We also added milk and a bit more sour cream to make the feel just right. The dough then got worked and kneaded. My Babci showed me how with quick efficient movements that I then got to try. My forearms hurt after a few minutes but six or seven decades of doing this barely caused her to blink. I am a wimp!

After we worked the dough we let it rest for at least ten minutes under a glass bowl. This helps it rest and form and the bowl keeps the dough moist. It will stay under the dough the entire time, we cut pieces off to work it as we go.

While the dough rested we finished mashing the potatoes and added them to a separate bowl. This will be our filling. After the ten minutes or so were up we cut a small piece of the dough off the larger lump. A cutting board was floured to be our new work surface. At home my Babci has a giant wooden board that takes up basically the entire kitchen table that was once her mother's... you use what you have! Add some flour to the board to keep the dough from sticking and also on your hands. We then worked the dough in to a long snake and used a knife to cut smaller sections. Those small pieces were rolled into a ball in our hands then flattened onto the board. We then took a rolling pin and flattened the dough pieces. A few short rolls is all it takes, no vigorous quick back and forths, just make sure the dough is even all the way around. Then you pick it up in your hand and add a spoonful of mashed potatoes and make a sort of taco shape.

Using your fingers you mold and shape the dough around the potatoes so you can crimp the edges closed. This part was hard for me to get but by the end I was much better! Some of my pierogies were very stuffed, some not enough. Babci called one or two "hot dogs" and "pregnant". But she was a very good teacher! Much better than we she tried to show me how to knit/crochet and took one look at my work and said, "Oh honey, forget it. That is pretty awful. I'd just quit while you're ahead!"

But I got better! We made dozens and dozens of pierogies and by the end I was making them on my own. It is important to seal them well or when you boil the pierogies they can break open and give you potato soup. I used a fork to crimp the edges of my pierogies to ensure an extra seal. I am proud to say none of mine burst open! You put the pierogies in boiling water and once they float to the top they are ready. You can eat them then or do what we do... fry them in a pan with butter and onions! YUM. Dup Dup was on hand the entire time, keeping an eye on things. She may have been given a little bit of mashed potatoes for her effort. We placed our boiled pierogies in a long glass baking dish with saran wrap between the layers and fried them later in the evening. You can refrigerate them or even bag them up and freeze them for later (like we did to the three dozen or so I took home for a special occasion. So now I know. And I will make my own pierogies and hopefully pass that down to my own children someday.

I also learned how to make one of my favorite Babci recipes, string bean soup, which is pictured above... but I think I will keep that for a separate post. It is absolutely delicious!

I loved being able to see my Babci and my Poppy. Poppy is a lot weaker now. He needs a walker to go anywhere and spends most of his time on the couch. He watches a lot of tv, sneaks candy when no one is looking, and has his good days and his bad days. Most of our visit was great for him, I think having Ryan and I, then later on my brother Stefan and his friend Kenan, made a huge difference. When more people are around he does better. I was nervous about the Dup with Babci and Poppy, I didn't want her knocking them down! She hadn't seen them since she was six months old or so, Easter of 2012, which is the left picture above. The right picture is this weekend and you can see not much has changed. She was Poppy's buddy and loved to sit with him and get pet. Same with Babci. As excitable as she can be she did so well and it was never once an issue. I am proud of my little Duppy! We got Poppy to eat at the table with us all the meals and he even left the house to go to church with us.

My parents' house is surrounded by cotton fields and they harvested while we were there. It was pretty neat to see the giant machines going by and making huge rectangular pallets on the sides of the road.

Ryan and I also took Dup Dup on long walks through the neighborhood and saw some gorgeous sunsets over the river. Nights were getting cooler and sweaters were worn under borrowed jackets, but it was worth it.

This... this though was the most important thing. Time with my family. Time with my Babci and my Poppy. This was the first time in years and years my husband, brother, parents and grandparents were all together. The last few visits were either just Ryan and I, or my mom and I... but we all got some time together this weekend.

I hate saying goodbye to them. I always cry when I do... I have every time since I went to college basically. I know I am getting older and by default, so are they. But these moments are ones I cherish so so much. I am so blessed my family is close enough for me to visit and that we can make things like this happen.

My dad hates pictures and is rarely ever in them, but he was there too. Over in the office reading a new history book of some sort as soon as the cameras and phones came out... but we were all there.

Pierogies and family. You cannot get much better than that.

Gall Bladder

So it has been over a week since I finally had my gall bladder removed and I am finally feeling up to blogging a bit about it. My recovery has been pretty crappy so far.... bad nausea and lack of appetite (sound familiar) have plagued me since the Super Bowl and I have been pretty miserable. Today marks the first day I put on jeans and ventured out of the house (to the grocery store) in almost two weeks.

Back to last Wednesday, the 28th, when I had the actual surgery. I was supposed to be there at 9am with the surgery at 11am. Anytime I have surgery I have bad luck with timing. The night before they call me and tell me not to come in until 1:30pm due to back ups in the OR with a surgery at 2:45. Goody. Especially when you can't eat or drink after midnight! My mom flew in the night before and we had a nice dinner at Olive Garden together before heading home. Ryan surprised the heck out of both of us when he managed to get off work for my surgery. We were convinced the SDA meant it was impossible but I was glad he was able to be there. So we get to the hospital around 1:30pm and the wait begins.

We waited and waited and long story short I didn't get into the OR until almost 4:30 that afternoon. Sigh. I was pretty hungry and thirsty by that point. I sat in a room with my mom and Ryan and watched TV for a few hours as we waited and once it is go time it is GO TIME. I felt like we were waiting for ages and suddenly I was kissing them goodbye and getting wheeled up the hall. I vaguely remember seeing the OR and then... nothing. My next conscious (and quite embarrassing) memory is waking up in recovery sobbing. I mean full on sob fest. My throat was scratchy from the tube and obviously my midsection hurt and I just remember sobbing my heart out and apologizing to the recovery nurses for sobbing. 

Ugh.

I was supposed to have an outpatient surgery but because it started so late the surgery center closed and they wheeled me into the actual hospital for the rest of my recovery. We thought that meant a few hours but then they mentioned keeping me overnight and that was exactly what happened.

My goals were simple... drink, pee, walk and eat. I couldn't go home until all of those were done. I was horribly itchy and in pain so they had me on morphine, then percocet and benadryl as I drank a ton of water. Ryan eventually had to go home since he had to be at work at the crack of dawn but my mom stayed with me. Actually when Ryan left they hadn't mentioned keeping me all night yet and he was quite surprised when he woke up the next morning and I wasn't there.

I had a nice view of the sunrise from my bed at least? It was a long night. I hate hospitals and my poor mom was in a chair... they didn't offer her anything more comfortable until about four am and at that point she didn't want to bother. I did eventually walk and use the bathroom... and when I did I nearly fell over. Blood pouring out of your bellybutton will do that to you. Apparently that's normal after my surgery so a well placed bandaid stopped that problem. Ugh. I finally ate breakfast in the morning and to my surprise my husband walked in as I was eating oatmeal and jello. Work let him go since I was still in the hospital. We eventually got discharged and I was able to go home by 8am or so. We all basically went straight to bed and slept until midafternoon.

I spent the next day or two on pain meds on the couch watching Friends on Netflix while my mom cooked and cleaned and was awesome just helping us out.

The Dup was a little put out at having to share her couch at first but she quickly became my snuggle buddy.

 

 As you can see she just squirmed right in between my mom and I and made due. At 90lbs, give or take, this is no easy task for a Dup!

My view.... she is cute luckily!

And the Dup loves her Granny, my mom, so they snuggled a lot too.

Saturday, the night before my mom left I started feeling nauseous. Saturday we went to the store and I was eating normally but sore... Sunday the nausea was worse. I barely ate all day before taking her to the airport and I was feeling awful by the time I got home. I got on the couch with the Dup to watch the Super Bowl but she wasn't too interested....

By halftime Ryan was home and I felt awful. Before the third quarter started I was throwing up and Ryan was giving me medicine and dragging me into bed to go to sleep. The next four or five days were miserable. I was on anti nausea medicine like crazy and eating nothing but fruit and toast and light bland things and just trying to stay hydrated. I went back to my doctor and they basically said it had only been a week post op and to give it more time. Very frustrating. Finally today I am feeling a little better. Good enough to at least put on jeans and go to the grocery store. I am still taking it easy and watching what I eat, but here is to hoping I am finally on the up and up.

Adios Gall Bladder. You will so not be missed. Here is to hoping I can have my long awaited cheeseburger soon. Really soon.

Training Cycle 1 and Life Goes On

As many of you know, my husband recently began his new job as a combat instructor with MCT (Marine Combat Training) as part of SOI East (School of Infantry). We are well in to his first training cycle and things have definitely been an adjustment. The hours are crazy, some nights he doesn't come home at all (and I have my trusty 9 mil on standby) and when he does the poor guy eats, showers and sleeps. He is definitely exhausted and I am trying my best to help where I can. I make his coffee, grab snacks and things for him when I can, have the house clean and leftovers in the fridge, and I try and keep the noise level down when he is home and asleep. It is weird after how much time we spent together lately that we barely see each other any more, most of that time is just sleeping, and he is usually too busy to even answer a text during the day. Training cycles are 29 days straight, so we still have a bit left to go in this first cycle, but hopefully with each cycle things will get a little easier. I know Ryan is pretty worn out already so here is to hoping things get better on his end too.

I finally had my pre-op appointment on Wednesday for my gallbladder removal. I met with the nurse, anesthesiologist and got blood work done. In between my meetings with each of them my doctor's office called me. I listened to the voicemail and they basically were saying there was a scheduling problem and they were wondering if I could push my surgery back until February 4th. Oh. Heck. NO. I was literally AT my pre-op appointment! Since Ryan cannot take leave my mom is flying in to take care of me. I am already scheduled for the time off work and the surgery is a week away! The surgery THEY scheduled back in MID DECEMBER.

Needless to say I was not happy.

I called them back and basically told them no... I could not switch. I mentioned my mom was flying in, ticket already booked, and it was not possible for me to reschedule. The nurse said "Ok, we will see what we can do. We just wanted to check with you and see if it was possible."

Well, it isn't.

I have been sick since October. I waited a month to get a diagnosis. When I finally did get one I had to wait another month to even see a surgeon. Then when I finally saw him I had to wait a week for them to schedule the surgery. Then I had to wait another five weeks for said surgery. Meanwhile I have been sick this entire time. I have altered my diet, I have endured gallbladder attacks, been nauseous nonstop, missed out on holidays and delicious food with my family, ruined date nights, been throwing up/nauseous/in pain/on medicines and I am DONE. There is no way I am switching my surgery when I am a week away from it... even if it is only by another week. Sorry. Done.

Anyway, I am working this weekend and Monday and Tuesday. My mom flies in Tuesday night and then Wednesday morning is my surgery. If anything changes that the hospital will have one angry patient on their hands! I may sound ridiculous right now, but I am so tired of not feeling well. I really hope this surgery works. I want to be able to eat again without being worried it will make me horrendously sick. I miss cheeseburgers. I miss just ordering whatever I want at a restaurant. I miss having the ability to cook anything and eat anything without fear of getting horribly nauseous or throwing up. I really, really hope this works.

Send some good vibes my way if you can!

Mother's Day

 

My Mom before I existed, about the same age I am now, we look so much alike!

My mom is an amazing woman. I am so thankful I have the relationship I do with her. I can call her and talk to her about anything. She gives the best advice and is easily considered my best friend. My teenage years had some rocky moments but we survived stronger than I ever expected. For all the sacrifices, the sleepless nights, the heartache, the laughter, the tears, the tantrums, the fights, the phone calls, the holidays, the birthdays, the heart to hearts..... thank you. For putting up with me, loving me, and being the best mom in the world.

Stefan's JROTC Ball March 2014



And you had a pretty great teacher too. Babci, I am so blessed to still have a grandmother at my age and I am thankful for that every day. I love our weekly check ins via the phone and I am always so happy to have the chance to visit you and Poppy. Thank you for helping raise me into the woman I am today and for doing such an awesome job with my mom too. Also my godmother, my aunt Eileen, even though she is far away (California) I am glad to have the relationship we do, she reminds me so much of my mom too!

Thanksgiving 2012

I also have a wonderful mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law, Skeetsie. Thank you for welcoming me into your family and being such a big part of our lives.

 

I am very blessed indeed.

 





Guest Post: Moving by my Mom

Today is the day! We are leaving Alexandria, Virginia and driving to North Carolina. We will be closing on our house and moving in. Over the next week or two I have some super special guest bloggers that are filling in for me while Ryan and I reorganize our lives. Give them some love! Our first blogger is a first timer on this blog and someone incredibly awesome.... my mom! She moved from NJ to NC last year... someone who totally gets it.

After recently moving from our home in New Jersey, where I have lived my whole life, I feel a little more in my element to comment on the whole moving thing.
Besides reading all the hints that everyone gives on PCSing (is that even a word?) I have been able to help Allie with her big move on Friday. No worries to all
you out there... I will be leaving Wednesday afternoon , well before Ryan gets back from school in California. I was young once... I know!

We had spent most of Tuesday cleaning out closets, donating to Goodwill, packing all the treasures that Allie couldn't bear to lose in a move, changing her address,
and generally just keeping the calm... being the mom.

I do have some idea how hard it is to move. When we left New Jersey I left behind a job a loved, a community I loved, friends, family and a home that was finally to the point where we were done fixing up, after 17 years mind you! My husband retired early... after working in IT for 33 years, working 18 hours days, phone calls all hours of the night and weekends too! We have a son who started high school in the fall of 2011 so it was August 2011 or not until June 2015, chances are he would have been dead before we realized that goal for sure! So it was with a blind leap of faith we made the big move, to a neighborhood of retired elderly couples, no family, just a big beautiful log home at the mouth of the Great Smokies in western North Carolina.

I always said that I must have done a lot right in my life with Allie to raise such a beautiful (inside & out) young woman. Allie is a confident and self assured fearless strong woman. I always admired her sense of wonderlust and fearless chances. From standing up in front of an audience and acting, to reading at church, to watching her heart break and mend when Ryan deployed to Iraq in July 2009. And even now watching her hold down the homefront while Ryan was in California in school. I honestly dont know how all the military spouses do it.....YOU ALL ROCK in my book.

My husband, son and I will meet Allie at her new home in North Carolina. We will help paint, pull up rugs, clean and help them settle next week! Ryan is the love of her life who loves her beyond the moon. Obviously I am so proud that after being married for a short time, soon 2 years, they have managed to buy their first home with no help from anyone. They are well on their way to Happily Ever After.....and I am thrilled to watch this happen!

Weekend in Jersey

This past weekend my mom was going to be in New Jersey for a craft show at church. Knowing my mom was four hours away instead of eight I drove up Friday night to spend the weekend with her. It officially had been the longest time we have ever gone without seeing one another! July to November. I know it isn't a lot, but it was for us!

My drive up Friday was long. Lots of construction and accidents, so instead of an hour to get to my usual rest stop it took me two. Luckily. I still had my favorite radio station, country of course, 98.7 WMZQ playing a lot longer than I should have. I was about ten miles from the rest stop when the DJ said caller nine right now wins tickets to see Miranda Lambert. I always try so I thought, What the hell? I picked up my phone and got the number out of my contacts (I told you, I try a lot!) and it rang.

On the first try it rang.

AND I WON!

No usual hang up, redial, hang up, redial. One shot, boom I am through!!!!

I am going to my FIRST country concert in January... for free!!! SO pumped!



Anyway, I got into Jersey around 11:30pm. My mom was at my grandparents' house and she didn't tell them I was coming, so they had a nice surprise! I slept in my old room and it was strange... I don't even remember the last time I spent the night there. We used to live 45 minutes away, plenty of visiting... so it was cool. I felt like a little kid again in a way.

We had to get up early the next day to get my mom to the church, but we did enjoy breakfast together first.

I dropped my mom off at church then went and got my oil changed. You get a free exterior car wash with an oil change so I went to watch my car go through and I saw these...



Guns to shoot water at your car! You bet your bottom dollar I used them all. I don't care if they were for kids, it was fun!!!

I then went to our friend Fran's house and took a much needed shower before napping on their couch. Pretty much all afternoon. I then drove and met my mom at the church and on my way I saw these!




It was a little chilly, I am sure especially out there, but I love seeing them in Jersey. Also there were tons of trees down from the freak snow storm last week. No snow, but plenty of damage.



Anyway we went to mass and then out to Fridays. I had a gift card for Kohls and we went there and I ended up getting early Christmas treatment from Mom (: I spent more than my gift card for sure but I really needed sweaters and stockings for work! I love them all.

We then went back to Fran's and had the night talking to her, her husband Rob, and their kids Chris and Nicole. Chris is my brother Stefan's best friend and I cannot believe how big he got! Freshman boys are huge. Dear Lord. Nicole grew too! We watched some football (Sad day Gamecocks, but woohoo Tigers!) and then went to bed.

The next morning I went to the church again and mom told me we had to go look at the house.



My parents couldn't sell the house so we have renters for at least a year before trying again. I was aprehensive, I didn't want to go see the house I grew up in from six years old on with other people in it. But I am glad I did... it was definitely closure. It wasn't my house anymore. It is definitely a country house and they have all this modern furniture in it that just does not work. And they totally were smoking in there. It kind of upset me to see the house in such a way as we checked the hot tub and furnace, but it definitely made me realize that is not my home anymore.

Back at the church Craft Fair I sold raffle tickets and walked around. I got an awesome wine purse (giraffe pattern) as well as a delicious sausage and pepper sandwich. And a meatball sandwich for good measure. Man I miss Jersey food! My two aunts came to the show too with one of my cousins and it was great to see them as well.

Then it was back on the road for me. Gas was SO cheap I had to take a picture...



Luckily the drive home was quicker and I got to see the Giants win! GO BIG BLUE!

I am glad I had the time with my mom. It has been a long time since it was just us two and I really miss her. We talk on the phone daily but it is so much better to be together in person.



Totally worth eight hours in the car (:

Oooh! Want!

Ok. Going to look very greedy and girly in this post but I cannot help it!!

I have fallen in love with these items. I need to win the lottery to get them all (:

These $98.00 Manolos I saw in a vintage shop in Old Town. And they were my size. Sigh.



This gorgeous dress from Shabby Apple



This set of poppy hair pins from Etsy



or this ring



Because I love what it represents. More people in England wear poppies in remembrance than here in America, but I've seen it. My Poppy used to give me a paper poppy pin (woah that sounds confusing) every year that his VFW would hand out. I want a slightly nicer version of that to wear in November, especially for Veteran's Day.

And basically this whole outfit would work in my book. Thanks pintrest!





I am going to drive to NJ tonight to see my mom since she is visiting there too. I haven't seen her since July, and this is officially the longest we have ever gone without visiting. The four hour drive on my own I am not looking forward to though!

And we found out last night Ryan got extended another month. Sigh. He does not graduate until April 12th instead of March 12th. So that will be 9 months living apart instead of 8. Joy. At least we get to see one another. I leave for the ball in two weeks (and he BETTER pick me up in the airport and not make me drive three hours in a rental car ALONE in an unfamiliar place after flying seven hours since he told me to fly into that particular airport....) and I cannot wait to see him again. Leave spoiled me!

I Love Skype 2

This time to see my family!!!! <3

Happy Birthday Mom

Today my beautiful mom has a milestone birthday. I know she would prefer me not to say her age, but she does not look it at all! My mom is my best friend and the most wonderful mother in the world. I am so blessed to have her in my life.




Happy Birthday Mom! Here is to the next fi- bunch of decades! I love you!