Twas Three Nights Til Christmas
What? You were expecting more Christmas music?
OK.
An Email From a Friend (it’s the little things that matter most)
“Writers might despair or suffer writer’s block, usually loudly, but they don’t decide to quit unless they are even more disturbed than they had to be in order to become writers in the first place.”
Herbert Gold – Not Dead Yet: A Feisty Bohemian Explores the Art of Growing Old
Last year during the holidays it was a text message from a man I used to do business with. This year it was a simple short email that brought a smile to my face. The following exchange happened today, edited lightly for reading.
Sun 12/12
Hey G-man, how you doing? It’s T-Box. Just wanted to say hi and wish you and your family a Happy Holidays. Hope everyone is healthy and doing well.
You still working? I know you are getting old and have some grandbabies you would rather spend time with.
Deb and I are doing well, staying home and staying healthy. Been looking at moving back to Missouri “from wenz I came” or something like that. Still working, at least until I drop dead. If Deb can figure out a way for me to draw a paycheck after I’m dead, I may be working even after that.
Anyway, Happy Holidays and take care.
Hey T-Box, always good to hear from you and glad to know you’re not dead yet. I hope everyone on your side is healthy and doing well despite nearly two years of The Great Pandemic. Never forget how fortunate we both are during these difficult times.
Yes I am still working. Getting old is a process and a privlege denied to many. The best part about getting old is you’re not old until you get there. You and I aren’t quite there. Yet.
We would love spending more time with The Tiny Generation. But for now 1-2 visits a month is fine and there’s plenty of video chats in between.
Barb and I have also talked about moving closer to the tiny people. But there’s no guarantee one or both of their parents might get a job offer they simply cannot refuse and move away Also anything we buy will be smaller and more expensive than the house we’re in. So those conversations continue…
Let’s agree to keep as much distance between Deb and Barb as we possibly can. They think alike which is a scary thing. If they ever put their heads together they’ll figure out a way for both of us to keep working after we’re dead. Sounds like a rough eternity if you ask me.
Happy Holidays, take care of yourselves and each other. Stay in touch!
Then Today Happened – 12.05.21
A few days ago the weather got cooler and thoughts of chili, soups, and stews started swirling in my head. Then today happened.
I mowed the back yard AND raked up leaves.
The Boss just got back from Sunday errands.
“Beer? It’s not even 5:00 0’clock!”
It’s also not supposed to be 75 degrees F here in December.
The Tale of Two Turkeys – 2021
T-Day this year was at our house and it was just the second time in nearly 20 years we hosted. For many years we traveled to Texas and one year we ended up in Owasso OK. But this year The Texans came north. We had a small gathering of five humans and one Aussie. Shopping for a small dinner crowd like this should have been simple. But as the Great Pandemic continues to affect aspects of our lives we all have not experienced I had to go to multiple stores to find what I needed. The sandwich meat and cheese purchase was left for the last day of shopping the day before T-Day. And as I circled the store searching for bargains I stumbled upon a refrigerated display of fresh turkeys.
Yup. Dried pasta is 50% more expensive per pound. A tub of strawberries was over $6.00 at the same store. Ground beef was seven times the price per pound. So I could not resist. I bought the little fellow.
nOn Sunday I roasted Turkey Two. I decided to cook the bird and freeze portions for future meals. My mind has been wandering to the many ways of making leftover turkey palatable. But it’s not been easy since we are tired of turkey right now. So in no particular order here’s what I learned this year shopping for the feast.
Take Home Lessons
- During The Great Pandemic in the midst of shortages you will find items overbought and undersold in the stores. Take advantage of these situations if and when you find them. I’ve come across similar price reductions in different stores usually in the refrigerated departments. As an example, BOGO imported Danish Havarti with the sell by date out in March 2022. I guess none of my neighbors like Harvarti.
- Be flexible. If you have to have strawberries you’ll pay up for them. But it might be time to eat other fruits that are more reasonably priced. Like bananas, apples, or those tiny oranges. Dried fruits work well too.
- Eat lower on the food chain. I picked up a pound of dried black eyed peas for $1.50 because you have to have black eyed peas for New Years in my part of the world. Eat more beans because they are good for you and good for your checking account balance. Learn to like beans.
- Add more meat-free meals to your diet. Yesterday for lunch I had Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew. Dinner tonight will be a massive mutant baked sweet potato and a side salad. You don’t need meat at every meal. Over the holiday weekend I happened to mention making Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole. The reaction from our guest was priceless. I guess some people don’t like squash.
- A six pound turkey doesn’t have a lot of turkey in it. This little fellow was kind of like a huge chicken only bonier. Still, I think I have enough cooked bird in the freezer for three more entrees.
Yup. Looks large but not a lot of meat.
Happy Thanksgiving 2021
Links to recipes for dishes from past Thanksgivings.
Your Grandmother’s Dressing (this is the real deal)
20 Sweet Potato Recipes – The First Mess
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins (updated)
White Chicken Chili (for the leftover turkey)
One Rotisserire Chicken, 50 Meals – #3 Sour Cream Chicken Enchillada Casserole (another recipe for leftover turkey)
The original Pecan Pie recipe because the source is Mom (Grandma Bev).
Yes, the pumpkin pie recipe is on the back of a can of pumpkin.
Random Thoughts at Halloween 2021
October 31
The town we live in moved Halloween to October 30. Weather was perfect and last night felt almost like a pre-Pandemic Halloween full of tricks or treats. The majority of the kids were masked despite the fact it was an outdoors activity. We ran out of candy except for a few M&M’s and one Snickers bar. It felt…eeirly normal.
Many times in life I find myself ignorant of my own advice. There’s beer AND ice cream in the house. Excess candy would have made the situation worse. We all know the addictiveness of sugar and chocolate. I’ve been managing my addiction by eating chocolate covered granola bars but that’s another story.
When my weight was 200 my rationalizations were endless. It’s a whole lot better than 370. Everyone puts on weight as they age. My 38 inch jeans still fit. YOLO so have another beer… At 200 I felt my ideal weight was 175. This year I gained seven pounds to get to my ideal weight. YIKES.
With the goblins gone the annual Holiday Season for Gaining Weight has begun. Time to get super serious again and make better food choices. Portion control. Less snacking. More bourbon and scotch, less beer. Less granola, more oatmeal. The food swaps are endless. Pick what works for you (as long as they’re not chocolate covered granola bars).
I can fit into my 36 inch jeans but they are somewhat snug. The battle continues. Maybe I need to eat more Heart Healthy Small Bites.
Keep a Journal (not just about food)
“Keep a diary or journal. Record your reflections on your life experience in a journal. You will find this simple practice to be invaluable in your quest for wisdom.”
Warren Bennis (March 8, 1925 – July 31, 2014) was the distinguished professor of business administration and founding chairman of the Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. He has advised several U.S. presidents and more than 150 CEOs. Bennis is author or coauthor of more than 20 books on leadership, change, and management.
The spirit of the writer is different from the spirits of other artists. Writers are quirkier. Maybe not as quirky as painters or the artist who builds things out of toothpicks. These artists qualify as top of the heap quirky. The spirit of the writer who has lost 200 pounds and kept (most of it) off for nearly 50 years also qualifies for top of the heap quirky. The Digital Truth Machine display showed 176 one week ago. So I went to my journal searching for the raw truth. Well, I found things like “the weather got hot back home in Oklahoma and there’s nothing like a really cold beer on a hot day…” Trouble in Paradise.
I didn’t realize just how many bad habits I allowed back into my life. My own words should have been enough to make me stop and change. But knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things… Before our Colorado trip I was 168.
7/18
Last night M&M’s and some chocolate drizzled popcorn. I woke up this morning tipping the scale at 170. I’m not sure how much longer I can cheat like this and not gain any weight but I’m sure enjoying whatever time I have before I need to start restricting certain foods and drinks.
8/19
Well maybe I need to hit the panic button. Last night I snacked, drank beer and managed to stay clear of ice cream. Surprisingly I am lighter this morning and I feel fairly thin despite my lack of willpower. After a year of stringent measures I lack the discipline to avoid beer. Again, if it’s not in the house it’s much easier to avoid consumption. Lesson learned, over and over again.
8/22
It’s been nearly three months since our Colorado vacation where I abandoned all self-discipline and started drinking beer again. I managed to put on three pounds last month while boasting that my weight hadn’t changed a month ago. I’m not close to hitting the panic button but we all know why I’m gaining weight.
8/23
I put on four pounds in less than a week.
On 9/11 I hit The Panic Button.
Let’s count how many Gary’s Rules for Weight Loss got ignored. Eat only when hungry. Portion control. Snack but not too much and only healthier foods. Beer, sugary and other things you shouldn’t have in the house got into the house. My journal and fading memory produced the following list of what I did to myself: dairy whole milk, full fat yogurt, beer, wine, Cheez-Its, peach cobbler, potato chips, beer, granola bars, M&M’s, cookies, cakes, brownies, beer, AND a half gallon of ice cream that was purchased for a Tiny Human visit that ultimately got consumed by the Big Human. I had stopped keeping a food journal. There might have been other food and drink that I’ve forgotten about.
Welcome to my world. I need to ensure the new suit I just bought for a wedding in November won’t require alterations.
Finally Feeling Normal
Monday I restarted a food diary. The recollection of my indiscipline over the past several months plus a recent online article on this topic reminded me of the effectiveness of writing down what you eat especially if you want to lose weight or maintain what was lost. Put simply I’ve been bad. Time once again to get better at what I need to do. Two months ago I wrote “I’m not sure how much longer I can cheat like this and not gain any weight but I’m sure enjoying whatever time I have before I need to start restricting certain foods and drinks”.
The scale read 176 a few days ago.
I hit The Panic Button.
At the present I am walking a tightrope between normal and overweight.
The struggle continues. But sometimes I plug in the old numbers to remind myself of the old me.
More Stress Reduction Techniques
garyskitchen.net 