A Slice of my Life

IF you have ever noticed, I use old time cooking utensils and kitchenware. I would have it no other way. They are still very functional and I understand them. That's most likely because I watched for at least 19 years how my grandmother and mother did things in their kitchens; even long after.

Today when I was slicing hard boiled eggs to make potato salad for lunch, I realized that I, again, was using old tools. How did they last so long? Well, they were made better and they were taken care of. And that's my opinion.  That old (retro, I think) slicer has been slicing eggs, mushrooms, strawberries, and other foodstuffs and hasn't failed - once! I had purchased a newer one some time ago and after two uses, the wires snapped! I took it back to the store and it was replaced. The 2nd one had wires snap the first time it was implemented. Out came my little Red Acme Slicer from its retirement.  (click on photo to view larger)

Now I have much older tools in use every day! Every day! Mostly kitchen tools.

I'll name a FEW - I don't collect them or anything like that. They were passed down. This partial listing doesn't include the old and very useful pots and pans, kettles, servingware or dishtowels.

bacon tongs (many uses)

bottle tongs

cabbage slicer

can opener

canning funnel

clips

colander

covered butter dish-Hazel

Foley food mill

Ekco Best hand mixer

jar openers (retro & vintage)

masher (many uses)

measuring spoons -the BEST!

Gem meat grinder

wall knife holders

pastry blender (many uses)

peeler (many uses)

sugar (& cinnamon) shaker

measured shaker

towel holder

vintage bowls-Fireking

many vintage bowls- Pyrex incl. 4 qt ovenware bowl

retro bowls-Brookpark plastic

 OLD wooden spoon back

OLD wooden spoon bowl

Hodgepodge

Cool enough to bake. I love to bake, I love to eat what I bake - Oh! Oh! - 

I did get to share with my neighbor walking her dogs again! 

Lemon sugar & butter cookies!

Click on photos to view larger

One more thing......If you don't care for colored eggs, shame on you! These are from my daughter's friend's chickens who are free rangers. She chicken sits the little ladies when their mistress is away for several days at a time. We all reap the benefits!

Today's Fresh Eggs!

This photo was taken last winter.

Too Much Sun

Click on photo to view larger

 Today I had a lesion removed. Payback for all my sun exposure through the years....awaiting biopsy results.  Interesting year!

A Tip Top Day

Guess I just want to see if I can still do it - that is baking goodies without any help. Yes, had to ask  help to reach baking powder and pure vanilla flavoring from upper shelf, but that was all! Proud of myself. I could have stood on a stool but was a bit lazy.

The photos are only 1/4 of the amount baked. These are baked in a large flat pan and cut when still warm into bars. Want recipe? Just ask. I call them Pan Snickerdoodles.

We do love our sweets and the gooey chewy ones are the best. Oh! So GOOD! I gave away 1/4 of the batch to neighbors who were walking back from their dog walk and told them I would kill them if they shared any of these with the dogs!  They are that delicious.

Received great news today of the birth of a first new baby named Clara Rose.

 Isn't that a lovely name? This young couple will be marvelous parents. I just know.  For more about them go to Meg's Blog. 
http://www.madebymeg.net/blog/

All for now.................

Look Alikes

My 54 year old son visited last week and the minute he came in the  door he exclaimed, "You look just like Grandma!" I hadn't seen him in  person for a couple of years, you see. I replied, "Thank you! that is  one of the best complements I've had in a long time." He just looked  at me! 

My 56 year old daughter, who I don't see in person much also wrote me that "You all look so old!" when I sent her a photo of us with a friend from Colorado who was visiting us here. 
He used to be her boyfriend, and he lived with us  for about a year. I replied, "We ARE old!"

Here is why...... We ALL have those JOWLS!!!!!

 My Great Grandmother

My Grandmother

 My Mother

Me

My Eldest Daughter 

Wired!

I'm Wired! 

It's not what you think. Since I have been receiving a regimen of physical therapy, my sessions end with a TENS treatment and an ice pack. For those of you who don't know what a TENS is I'll explain. 

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

TENS is a non-invasive, low risk nerve stimulation intended to reduce pain. In simple terms, a TENS delivers electrical pulses through the skin to the surface and deep nerves to the spinal cord and brain. Then endorphins are released. (This is a bit of what it says on my unit's user's manual.) Remember this is only a simple explanation! In other words, It uses a set of electrodes attached to the skin that deliver up to 60 milliamps of current into the nerves where the pain occurs. This jolt serves to disrupt the pain signals coming from those nerves, and instead of hurting, the area ends up feeling tingly or even numb.

If you need to know more about a TENS, you can research and learn about its use. My medical physician prescribed a unit for me to use at home as I feel necessary. 

Right now, I have the electrodes attached to my painful shoulder and feel very comfortable. My unit is attached to my waistband and running on batteries. It does seem to help and each day I plan to use it for only fifteen minutes; and I need to know how fast it eats batteries so I'm keeping track.

I only use the shoulder program option, but it has low back/hip, hand/wrist, knee and a select back options. Actually it can be quite complicated. The LCD screen that displays the therapy sessions is nice, but doesn't light up. 

The self-adhesive electrodes really stick to my skin! I AM connected! 

How Come?

How Come?

Why did I not pay attention, really really close attention, to the actions and movements of my parents as they aged? How come? I just took it for granted that they would slow down so I didn't notice their small complaints and obvious discomforts in their late years thinking I might ever have similar ones. How come?

I would go to visit them often (130 miles from my home) and would be annoyed at their slowness, especially in the mornings, when I stayed overnight. I'm a morning person and am up and out of bed by 7:00 am, sometimes even at 
6:30 am. I would try to keep the morning news on the TV at low volume. I hoped that I didn't have to flush the toilet before they awoke. I was even hesitant to start the coffee because I thought the aroma would wake them. There is nothing like tippeetoeing around the house, waiting..... waiting..... to hear a stir coming from their bedrooms. 

After a breakfast that seemed to take forever, they would take off in their own directions to do whatever they did before being ready to face the world. Even an offer of assistance was rejected, as they had their "own ways" and NOW I UNDERSTAND!

The age of these wonderful and incredible parents, of whom I write of here, was late 80's. Hey! I'm almost there.

Mother always had to push the cart when we went to the market. Now I know why. Their canes were stored in a corner by the back door, readily handy for a venture outdoors. Their telephone ringer was turned off at bedtime so it couldn't possibly disturb their sleep. I do that too. Eyeglasses had their special places to be sure they could be found, tissues were handy throughout the rooms, and medicines were lined up in specially arranged rows for mistake-free distribution.

Many times I was asked to reach down under the countertops and retrieve items from the cupboards there. I also opened and transferred contents from jars and bottles to containers for easier access. Many items waited for my opening skills. THEN they could be consumed.

I am so glad that the loss of their mental ability wasn't a concern. Mother found volunteer work at the library and Pop had an older neighbor who came to "chew the fat" on a regular basis. Social activities were ongoing after they didn't leave their home as often as before. They seemed to be happy and quite independent, so I never saw their struggles and discomforts. How come?

 I guess the increased frailty of their bodies didn't hit me like it should have. They didn't say - I didn't ask. Now, I find we're doing the same thing! We don't let our children or grandchildren know much about the aging process in our own lives. It's a journey I don't want to share either. Will they be saying, "How Come?"

 1984

 August 12, 1994

August 12, 1999 65th Anniversary

He is 92, She is 84.