Change

Home alone. That’s something I don’t experience much any more since Verne retired a few years ago. I spent a decade as a weekend-wife with Verne working weekdays in SoCal and then later in Carson City and returning home Friday nights for the weekend. It was our “normal” and a lifestyle that seemed to suit us both. I was more than a little concerned about the retirement years and spending 24/7 together, but I have to say it has been an easy adjustment. Of course, it helps having my own 750 square foot studio/retreat separate from the house and I’m sure Verne would agree that his barn/workshop has saved his sanity more than once.

Today, as I sit here alone, I’m feeling a sense of loss. After spending the last three days with us, Jana left this morning for LA. We’ve had a wonderful time together with the highlight being a trip to Napa yesterday for a picnic lunch and wine-tasting tour of the Chappellet Winery in the Prichard Hill area.  Verne and I joined the Chappellet Wine Club a few years ago and have enjoyed taking family and friends there on several occasions. The Chappellet family has set aside two beautiful private picnic areas on their 640 acre estate for club members to use. One of those spots is set amongst the oaks and boulders on a hillside surrounded by grape vines. The other is located in a beautiful meadow, also surrounded by grapevines, and overlooking Lake Hennessey. They receive little use during the week, so we had the meadow to ourselves. It was perfect! We concluded our trip to Napa with a box of macaroons from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery. Pure decadence!

As I mentioned, Jana left to drive home this morning, but not without adding to my loss by taking Izzy, her beautiful Short-Hair Exotic (Persian) cat that I’ve been cat-sitting for the past nine months. It’s not that she’s left me without cats – I still have three. In all honesty, three more than Verne would like and when I consider the expense, damage, and work involved in having purebred, indoor cats, I whole-heartedly agree.  But, Izzy is perfect by all standards and now she’s gone and I’m left with the others – precious, but not without challenges. There is Julie, Izzy’s mother (a weird little 7 pound cat with stomach issues and a personality disorder), Izzy’s father, Ernie (the most normal of the bunch, except for the strange snorting sounds he makes), and Olive, Izzy’s sister (I can’t do her justice in a side-note, so read on). Izzy and Olive are like Arnold Shwarzrnegger and Danny DeVito in the movie The Twins…Izzy got all of the good genetic material and Olive, the runt, got what was left. In nature, Olive would not have lived, but I took it upon myself to teach her such rudimentary things as eating and drinking (otherwise she’d still be nursing at 2-1/2 years old) and using the litter box (that last effort was not completely successful). You get the picture. In spite of her flaws, Jana loves Olive and it took the past three days to convince her that Olive is a “stressor” that she doesn’t need right now (or ever) and that she should take only Izzy. We have agreed that I’ll give Olive until August 31^st to reform (learn to consistently use the litter box) or else.  “Or else” has yet to be defined. Below is a picture of Izzy.

I’m experiencing yet an additional loss today. We live on a one-mile stretch of road that services six full-time families. All are property owners (10-acre minimum) with the newest family having lived here for ten years. I find comfort in living in an established and stable community. Verne and I would call any one of these neighbors if we needed help and they would do the same with us and have on many occasions over the years. In the last month two of these families have sold their homes and both are moving today. The Lairds, our immediate neighbors, are leaving their home of 35 years – twenty of which we have shared memories. I am sad to see them go, but appreciate the dichotomy between large acreage and aging owners (they are in their 80’s). The two are mutually exclusive. The amount of work required to maintain a private road and 40 acres, in our case, is never ending and, unfortunately, as we (that would be Verne) gets older, his work days become shorter and shorter and the workload mounts. It will soon be our turn to sell our beautiful property and move to something more manageable just as our neighbors are doing today. Sad.

On a positive note, I was told that one of our new neighbors has an interest in learning to make jam…that’s a happy thought as I am quite the authority on the subject and love nothing more than to spend a day in the kitchen making a batch of slow-cook peach marmalade or strawberry balsamic and black pepper jam. My list of favorites is extensive, so I’ll save it for another blog post. I’m already feeling better about the change and looking forward to meeting our new neighbors!

Enjoying Life

When I started this blog a few years ago it was for the purpose of documenting and sharing cooking experiences and recipes with friends and family, since our retired life seems to center around all things ‘food’. It didn’t take long and the blog became “Moser Good Eats and Good Times” and sometimes not such good times. It has basically become a journal where I can record life experiences, albeit mostly simple, everyday events...like these beautiful sunflowers we bought for $5 at the Oneto Family Farm Stand on Highway 88. The stand is unattended -- they use the honor system (a cash box with a suggested price). I don't know why, but the thought that in this day and age people are still trusting and trustworthy makes me happy -- so we stop there often. (And yes, I did leave $5!)

During the first half of this year dealing with Jana’s cancer, chemotherapy treatment and surgery, Verne and I were emotionally drained and all else in our life seemed unimportant by comparison. Our happy moments from January through mid-May were the days we spent with our family in SoCal for Jana’s chemo treatments. Well, life has largely returned to normal and I realized that I haven’t blogged in almost two months.  Not that I haven’t had anything to say, but it’s taken that long to get back in the comfortable routine of life. I think we’ve always appreciated the small things in life, but with our minds clear of the ‘cancer cloud’ we are more than ever appreciative of our good health, family and friends, our beautiful home in the woods, and our community. That last part has occurred since I’ve become so heavily involved in the Amador/Calaveras County Master Food Preserver program…more about that later. Unfortunately, as well as not blogging for almost two months, I didn’t take many pictures during May so will have to improvise as I recount our experiences.

The latter part of May, post-surgery, we enjoyed visits from a couple of “old” young friends. Ted Burns has held a special place in our hearts for several years now. I first met him when Jana was in high school and her car broke down in town. Ted, a classmate since her sixth-grade year, found her stranded in the Safeway parking lot and gave her a ride home. I was in the process of making dinner and invited him to stay. What do I remember about Ted? He had a voracious appetite and was not shy about asking for seconds! Well, it’s been over 14 years and nothing has changed. Many of those years Ted has been a close part of our family. He now lives in SoCal, so we don’t see him as often, but that really hasn’t lessened our feelings for him and when we see him, we just pick up where we left off.

It happened that we had other guests the night Ted joined us for dinner – Maria and her fiancé, Ruben, were visiting. Actually, they are both commercial fishermen and were on break between seasons living in Maria’s home in Amador County. We planned a menu that we could do-ahead leaving more time to visit with our guests. It included a delicious Queso Fundido with Roasted Poblano Vinaigrette (dip) and homemade corn chips, chipotle beef enchiladas, Mexican rice, and flan. We were well into dinner preparations when it occurred to me that we were making Mexican food for a person born and raised in Mexico eating the real deal every day of his life. Oops! Well, he hadn’t had our gringo version and it turned out that he loved the addition of fresh cilantro on the enchiladas.  Success!

We concluded the month with a birthday dinner for Vera Allen, another “old” young friend. Vera has been a regular at the Moser home since junior high school when she and Jana became fast friends. We had the first of many birthday dinners when she was a teen and the meal has become a birthday tradition. Her request is always the same: Hazelnut-Crusted Pan-Fried Chicken, a recipe developed by Robert Mondavi. Some things never change! At some point this past year Vera decided that she wants to remain in Amador County, where her relatives settled and homesteaded over a hundred years ago. She spent two years in Berkeley going to school and decided that big crazy cities are not for her! Her 2015 New Year’s resolution was to “find herself a local cowboy!” and she did. This year Vera brought her new beau, Will, to meet her extended family and enjoy her birthday dinner tradition. Another success!

Most of June was spent working on MFP projects, including preparation for the July class on fermentation and pickling. More and more I seem to end up as a substitute teacher when other MFP’s need help or just flake out. I knew this would happen and even brought up my concern when I volunteered to be the public class coordinator. I was assured that would not happen. Remember what Dr. Gregory House used to say: Everyone lies! I originally volunteered to teach one class this year on jam making. I’m now on track to participate in more than half of the eleven 2015 classes. I’ll admit, I enjoy the MFP program and it has given me a sense of community. I’ll also admit the upcoming class holds some special interest for me. A year ago Verne and I began fermenting our own sauerkraut and sour pickles with great success. Not only are they delicious, but the more I read about fermented foods, the more enthusiastic I’ve become. I won’t use this platform to preach about the benefits of the healthy bacteria that is present in (raw) fermented products, but if you want to know more, just call me (I can entertain you on the subject for hours).

I almost forgot to mention…Raelin and family visited us the first week of June. Verne is usually in charge of entertainment, but I offered to do it this time. I planned a weekend hands-on workshop dehydrating and canning. Aaron and I made four quarts of granola followed by a batch of multi-berry jam and Raelin and I made a batch of apple cinnamon jelly. What fun! I know you’re snickering as you read this, but they loved it and are planning another trip this summer. That’s the last time Verne will let me plan the entertainment…he tries to keep these visits just on the edge of unpleasant so that no one comes more than once a year. And that’s no joke! 

This seems to be a good place to include a photo collage of Peyton (our Connecticut grandson) using the birthday present we sent. It's his very own dehydrator!

And, Lauren making sauerkraut! LOL! I've got everyone doing it. Almost.

We wrapped up the month with a trip to Portland. It had been nine months since our last visit and it felt like going home. Jana flew up from SoCal and Scott drove down from Seattle and spent a few days with us. We shopped until we dropped; ate our way through the Lake Oswego Farmers Market; attended Art in the Park, which included a special fiber arts exhibit; partook of Manzana’s Happy Hour twice; celebrated Scott’s birthday; and most importantly (aside from the birthday celebration, of course), took a private tour on the USS Blueback Submarine at its home at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). We had an exceptional guide who also happens to be an exceptional daughter, Lauren. Yep! In her spare time, Lauren volunteers at OMSI and has been told by many of the other more senior and all male volunteers as well as paid employees, that she is the “gold standard” of the volunteer submarine tour guides. I would agree with that! She is knowledgeable, articulate, friendly, and relaxed. We’ve been hearing about the Blueback since last fall and anxious to see Lauren in action. She didn’t disappoint! The tour was the highlight of our visit and an experience we plan to repeat.

Cancer Free!

The last big hurdle is behind us. We made our seventh 2015 SoCal trip this past week to be with Jana during her surgery on Thursday, May 14th. Wednesday evening we celebrated me (Mother’s Day) and Jana (just hours away from being cancer free) with dinner at Jon and Vinny’s, a trendy restaurant in Santa Monica that specializes in pasta and designer pizzas. The food was good, but the highlight was sitting at a table adjacent to The Fonz (Henry Winkler), who was enjoying pizza with his son (who looks very much like him) and their wives. I was positioned to look right at him all evening, but it took others at our table (obviously much more observant than me) to recognize him. In my defense, he wasn’t wearing his typical white T-shirt and leather jacket.

We spent most of Thursday in the hospital waiting room watching time slowly tick by and hopeful that Jana’s surgeon, Dr. Kusske, would have good news for us following her portion of the surgery, which was the double mastectomy and removal and preliminary testing of the sentinal node in Jana’s armpit. We have since received confirmation that the sentinal node showed no signs of cancer! For Jana, there was no passage of time. She was sitting up one moment talking to her anesthesiologist receiving her epidural and the next she was looking up at me in the recovery room, confused and concerned that she couldn’t remember laying down. It took several hours for her to be moved from recovery to her private room and it was close to midnight before we left the hospital. The pictures below begin with the three girls in the waiting room, Jana swaddled in warm blankets in recovery, and Lauren learning to remove the fluid from the drainage tubes that will remain in place for ten days. 

Our Saturday started early with a text saying, “Where’s my mommy?” It was clear my day would be spent at Jana’s bedside, but there were big plans brewing between Lauren and Verne. For the past year Lauren has been a volunteer submarine tour guide at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and when the men she works with on the sub learned she’d be in SoCal for a few weeks, they urged her to visit the USS Iowa, which is located in the Los Angeles Waterfront (San Pedro) and available for self-guided tours. Verne took no urging -- he was more than happy to accompany Lauren on the adventure. Below are a few of the pictures from their day together.

My day with Jana was “loving”…that seems to be the best way to describe all of the emotions I was feeling (appreciative of the UCLA doctors we chose back in December 2014, proud of Jana – her strength over the past six months and unyielding positive attitude, and appreciative of the outpouring of family love and support we’ve all experienced). Much good has come from this life challenge and I believe we’ve managed to make the best of a bad situation. Although Jana has been declared Cancer Free, she’s not completely free of the effects of cancer as she faces a year of recovery…breast reconstruction, regaining her strength (she was running 5-6 miles a day prior to her diagnosis and now she does well to slowly walk around the block), re-growing her hair and fingernails (both have suffered from the chemotherapy), and regular visits (every three weeks) for Herceptin infusions (same place and similar to chemo, but without the horrible side effects).

I expect Verne and I will continue to make regular visits to SoCal. The first one will be mid-June to return Jana’s cats to her. I’ve had Izzy and Olive (a Short-Hair Exotic and a Long-Hair Persian) since mid-September. Four cats have been a bit much at times (for Verne), but I’ve really grown to love her two felines and will be sorry to say good-bye to them. I’m returning them healthy and well-adjusted, but, unfortunately, Olive more closely resembles a Sphynx than a Persian. I admit it…I didn’t brush Olive twice daily and she became so matted that the only option was to shave her (a big thank you to Vera). Sorry Jana, but you and your kitty will both be re-growing your hair! This picture was taken in January, before Olive became a matted fur ball. 

Déjà vu All Over Again

Our sixth and final chemo trip was all too familiar. The only difference from earlier trips was the limited time we had with Jana – 24 hours to be exact. We considered forgoing this trip as it conflicted with Kool April Nights, a car show in Redding Verne attends each year with his brothers. However, we remembered a 1-day trip we took a few years ago to pick up Ernie, our male short hair Persian cat, from Jana. On that trip, we left the house around 5 a.m. and arrived in LA in time to have a relaxing lunch with Jana, pick up the cat, and were back on the road by 2 p.m. and home by 9 p.m. We did it once for a cat and decided we could do it again for Jana!

The familiar drive down the 99 held no surprises. We always begin the trip with a Starbucks from the Jackson store and then take Highway 88 out of town towards Lockeford, where we pick up Jack Tone Road. Years ago when we first started making the drive from Amador County south towards LA, Verne discovered the Jack Tone Road shortcut. It did cut a few miles from our initial trips that took us through Stockton to the 99, but shortcut? All too often Verne’s shortcuts are actually “longcuts” and I’m not so sure that this doesn’t qualify as one. There must be a couple dozen stops through the rural farming settlements along the 30 miles of Jack Tone Road. But, we do avoid Stockton and, on a positive note, Jack Tone Road intersects CA 99 where, conveniently, there’s another Starbucks.

Once we’re on the 99, we travel through several small towns, including Turlock (where the Turlock Swap Meet is held every year – another car event that Verne has attended with his brothers for the past 20+ years), Modesto (where there is a Macy’s we’ve stopped and shopped a couple of times), and Merced (where the newest and tenth University of California is located). Somewhere along this stretch we begin to see farms, dairies, vineyards and orchards and they literally don’t stop until we leave Bakersfield and approach the Grapevine. I never tire of seeing the orderly fields, which are in sharp contrast to the nearby small settlements and communities that are often in a complete state of disarray.  We pass through Selma, the Raisin Capitol of the World, and I’m reminded of a trip we took with Lauren a few years ago. I was outnumbered and outvoted and we must have made a dozen stops between LA and home, one of them being Selma. Lauren makes a very pretty Sun Maiden!

A little further south of Fresno, we always stop at Bravo Farms where we use the bathrooms, sample cheese, and then, of course, buy several of our favorite cheeses, a couple of bags of the best corn nuts in the world, and milk-chocolate covered dried cherries for Jana. We lucked out this time and they were making cheese – always fun to watch. 

To us Bravo Farms is not just a convenient stop along Highway 99, but it’s a destination. For years it’s been the reason I willingly agree to travel the 99 both to and from SoCal. My preference has always been the 5, which was completed in the late 1970’s and has the same beautiful farmland, but without all of the unsightly towns and small homesteads. It’s just a straight shot from the Bay Area to the Grapevine, where the 99 and 5 join --70 mph the entire way. Well, this past summer a second Bravo Farms opened along the 5, which has resulted in our compromise to travel the 99 to SoCal and return on the 5.

Back to our travels on the 99…somewhere between Fresno and Bakersfield, we pass an old plane sitting in a field off the highway. It’s been there as long as we’ve been making these trips and for all intents and purposes appears to have been abandoned. According to Verne, it’s a B28 bomber, which was used in World War II, and there was one just like it near his hometown of Clarkston, WA that sat in a similar field. For years, kids played in and on the plane until one day someone bought it, fixed it up, and flew it away. Could this B28 bomber sitting in a field near the Tulare Airport be the same one? Hmm…we’ll never know, but it makes a good story (and one I’d not heard before).

Have I mentioned that Verne is a great storyteller? I’ve heard some of them a gazillion times – okay, more accurately, a hundred times. One of them is the story of Route 46, where James Dean was killed in 1955. It’s a tragic story and one that must have made its mark on Verne (I’m a bit too young to remember it). James Dean was an actor (and a heartthrob) in the 50’s. He met his death on Route 46 on his way to a racing competition (his hobby) in Salinas. To make a long story short (you can Google it if you’re interested – I have Verne, my own personal Google), he died at the intersection of Routes 46 and 41 when he slammed into another car and sustained fatal injuries. The other driver, who escaped with minor injuries, lived in the shadow of Dean’s death, although he was not completely to blame for the accident, and later committed suicide. Sad!

There are times we very comfortably travel together without a word and other times, like this recent trip, where we enjoy constant conversation (I mostly listen, eat corn nuts, play Words With Friends, and occasionally nod off). During a 500-mile drive, there is plenty of visual stimuli to trigger memories or even raise new questions. We passed Buck Owens Drive and an exit for Merle Haggard Drive, both conjuring up stories. And then there was a large sign on the side of the highway that read: Don’t Let Ecoli Crash Your Dinner Party! That gave us cause for wonder, especially with my recent education on foodborne illnesses. And there were the rows of fruit trees covered with netting…actually, only every other row was covered. Why? And, why are many of the newer orchards planted with trees at an angle? Curiouser and curiouser! And, what are all of the crops? Why can’t the farmers label the fields so we’d know? And, who picks up all of the gators on the road? Don’t know what gators are? They are pieces of blown-out tires that litter the highway. These are just a few of the questions that pop up during our drive and always seem to lead to a lengthy discussion.

If you’ve ever travelled south to LA, more than likely you are familiar with the Grapevine. It’s a steep grade through the Tehachapi Mountains (they are really more like foothills) that was once a winding road with twists and turns until the highway was straightened out in 1970. Contrary to popular belief (including Verne), that name was given to the original curvy highway due to a six-mile stretch of it that is lined with wild grapes. One more reason I love my smart phone…I’m able to test Verne’s trivia knowledge. Just a few key strokes and I’m rewarded with the full history of the Interstate 5! Our final hour traveling to Jana’s home is through the Sepulveda Pass to West LA. Fortunately, we always seem to be going against traffic when we arrive in the late afternoon and when we leave early morning. That’s the only time we avoid traffic while in LA, but it’s something.

We arrived Wednesday afternoon before Jana’s final chemo and had a relaxing time with her. It was just the three of us as Lauren saved her time off from work for the next big trip – Jana’s surgery. Lauren is the primary caregiver during that time and will be spending two weeks in LA caring for her sissy, waiting on her hand and foot. The following morning we arrived for Jana’s chemo treatment almost an hour late and were scolded by more than one person. Well, it’s the last time, so we took the scolding in stride. 

Raelin assured me she would spend the afternoon with Jana and take good care of her (and she did!) and by 2 p.m. Verne and I were back on the road, this time traveling the 5.

By comparison to our southbound trip, the 5 was unremarkable. We stopped for our first Starbucks in Buttonwillow, so passed on the new Bravo Farms just 50 miles further north. Verne shared a long story about his years working for Price Waterhouse in public accounting and an assignment auditing a large construction company responsible for building part of the I-5, which was located in Coalinga, a small community we passed on our trip. A little further and we passed Harris Ranch, known for its great beef. Unbeknownst to most consumers, however, is the poor conditions in which those wretched animals live while waiting to be slaughtered. I imagine the meat is sold as organic and grass-fed. Well, I’m here to tell you…there is not a blade of grass for miles. Just thousands of cows crowded together living in the stench of their own waste and waiting to be killed. That sight always makes me seriously consider becoming a vegetarian.

Speaking of cattle, on the final stretch home I saw a herd of very different looking cows with a white band around their belly. I tested my own private Google (I’m going to begin calling him “Voogle”) and sure enough, he knew exactly their origin and history and spent the next ten minutes telling me about the Scottish breed, Belted Galloway. They are sometimes called the Oreo-Cookie Cow. Who needs Wikipedia?!

The one and only side-effect of chemotherapy that we all agree will be missed, is our precious time together. Life after cancer is going to be different for the Moser family! I expect Highway 99 and Interstate 5 will become even more familiar to us in the future.

Life as a Master Food Preserver

It’s been a while since I’ve written about my preserving experiences. Life’s been keeping me busy and I haven’t jammed in a few months. Actually, I haven’t jammed since I made that amazing peach marmalade and then the equally delicious strawberry-balsamic black pepper jam, which reminds me of a funny story I’ll share with you.

I’ve been so proud of both slow-cook jams with their perfect lustrous color, uniform distribution of fruit (no fruit float!), and complex taste, that I knew they were definitely blue-ribbon jams. Not that winning a ribbon has been high on my priority list, but after months of family urging me to enter my jams in the county fair, I finally felt like I had a couple of winners. What better way to test the waters than to have a jam judge take them for a test drive? I’d learned in early February that El Dorado County had a jam judge in their MFP program and sent her an email requesting a meeting. My plan was to interview her and at the end of our conversation bring out my jams for her to evaluate. Well, I set up the meeting and all went as planned. We talked not for my estimated one-hour, but 2-1/2 hours, and during that time learned about each others backgrounds, likes and dislikes as related to jam making, and some of the key considerations of judging. As planned, I whipped out my jars of jam as we were winding down the meeting. I’d carried them in old (clean) socks to protect the jars. Mary (the judge) loved the idea and since it has been shared with several other MFP’s. After getting past my idea (not particularly original as I used to carry my paints in old socks), she admired my labels and wanted more information on how I’d created them. Again, not original as I just went on to the Avery website and downloaded them. But, we were on a roll and all of this was very positive feedback. Mary held up my jam to the light looking closely at the headspace. Yep, it was right on at ¼”. Then she tipped the jar sideways and watched the jam slowly flow in the direction of the lid. She set the jar down and shoved it towards me saying, “I wouldn’t even open this jam!” What???

At first I thought she was teasing me. After all, we’d just spent 2-1/2 hours together and (I thought) we were best buds. No, there was no humor in her voice. She said, “It’s too soft and would never make it to the final round, so there’s no point in opening it.” Looking at my crestfallen face, she then said, “Do you like it this way?” My response: “It’s perfect!” Her response was just what I would have said, “That’s all that’s important.” I still like Mary in spite of her disdain for my jam. In fact, in retrospect I found the entire event hilarious. I was so certain I had a winner (and I do) and contests and ribbons have never been important to me. Not until she told me that I (my jam) was the big loser. Me, the jam expert, can’t even win a blue ribbon at the county fair. Did I mention I’m talking about the very small Amador County Fair? Pathetic! Now here’s the question…do I remake the jam in an effort to please the judges? Am I just another people-pleaser? Or, do I just accept my jam as it is, which prior to my meeting with Mary, was perfect? The jury’s out (pun intended), but I’ll keep you posted. To be continued…

My jamming all came to an abrupt halt a few weeks ago when I began drying. Yes, I’m a dryer. Actually, I’d been calling myself a “dehydrator,” but that’s also the name of the equipment, which can get a bit confusing for some (my sous chef). People who are passionate about dehydrating food are called dryers. And that’s me! You remember my Christmas present…an Excalibur Dehydrator, the Cadillac of dehydrators. Well, I hadn’t used it yet. You also remember that I’m the Public Class Coordinator for the MFP program? My greatest fear when I accepted the position was realized when the person who’d agreed to teach the April class on dehydrating found herself too busy to be the “lead” presenter. Twice I sent out a round of emails looking for a replacement…no response. Well, the buck stops with me and I realized that I’d have to step up and do it. Always having a positive outlook (hmm…is that true? I have a vague recollection of calling myself a big loser not too long ago…), I decided this was not all bad, as it might just be the impetus I needed to use my Excalibur. So, with little to no experience drying, I accepted the position of lead for the class. Now you understand why I’ve not been jamming, found little time to return emails or play Words With Friends, and basically been incommunicado. The Excalibur has been running 24-7 for the past few weeks as the class nears (this Saturday).

I’ve dried strawberries, pineapple (the best!), peppers, sweet potatoes (not so good), mushrooms, and carrots; I’ve made energy bars and power bars (not sure of the difference); granola and trail mix; fruit leathers (we know them by the name “fruit rollups”, but dryers call them “leathers”); and, I’ve made tomato powder, which can be used for tomato juice, sauce, or soup. The best and most successful product is my One-Pot Spaghetti. I’d made a beautiful example of it to take to class (in the dried form) and then Verne and I decided that I shouldn’t be handing out recipes for something I’d not eaten, so we made it last night for dinner. It was incredibly good. I never expected my jar of dehydrated, powdered tomatoes, dried spices and herbs, and dried mushrooms to reconstitute into anything quite so delicious. I’m a believer! And, Verne is no longer questioning the big price tag on “just another appliance that won’t get used.” He’s even become used to the kitchen counter being covered with dehydrating paraphernalia and the constant purr of the dehydrator’s fan. He’s a good man (and yes, Sally, I’ll be kind to him)!

As for the MFP program, I’m spending a lot of hours on the program. If this were a paying job I’d be into overtime hours at this point.

Fifth Chemo Trip

Our trip to SoCal this past week included a detour by way of the 101. It had been months since we’d seen our Santa Barbara friend and I had a quilt and jam to deliver to her. We spent five delightful hours with Sally catching up and eating, of course. We were greeted with a table set for best friends (very hungry best friends as Sally had told us not to eat) and an antipasto plate that was beyond any first course I’ve ever had. Later we went to the Boathouse, which is located on Hendry’s Beach, and enjoyed a bowl of clam chowder. Our power visit was worth every extra mile added to our drive.

We left Santa Barbara around 7 p.m. and drove to Culver City and spent an hour with the girls before checking into our hotel Wednesday night. Lauren had arrived on Tuesday so as to accompany Jana to her pre-surgery meeting with the cancer and plastic surgeons at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Originally Verne and I were going to attend the meeting with Jana and Lauren was to fly in Wednesday evening. However, when Lauren told me she had two pages of questions (single spaced) for the doctors and I was to take copious notes, I knew Lauren was the best person for the job and I was more than happy to rebook her flight a day early. Her update will be posted this week on Caring Bridge.

The crux of the meeting is this: Jana will be having a double mastectomy and reconstruction on May 14^th. She will be in the hospital for two to three days. Her initial recovery will be from two to four weeks if all goes well. We’re hopeful that Jana won’t require radiation, but that will be determined at the time of her surgery and would result in a longer recovery period. Lauren has scheduled time off the last two weeks of May and will be taking care of her sister during her recovery, as Jana will need round-the-clock care and assistance.

We spent much of Thursday at Jana’s chemotherapy session. It always sounds strange to say we had a good time. However, we had a good time! It was much the same as Chemo Trip #4 as we lucked out and had the same sweet nurse, we followed the treatment with an ice cream cone, and went back home to do a little work around Jana’s cottage. Dinner won’t sound like much to anyone reading this, but it was Jana’s choice and special in so many ways…Del Taco! When the girls were very, very young we lived in Anaheim Hills and would take them (and often one or two of the older siblings) to Del Taco for Taco Tuesday. This family tradition went on for years and there were a number of stories that came from our Taco Tuesday evenings, none of which would interest an outsider to the family, but all of which bring a smile as we reminisce.

We left for home on Friday with Lauren in tow. According to her, she needed a little “parent time.” Again, her reservation was changed to fly out of Sacramento on Sunday, rather than LA on Saturday. You may question this change all for a day together…I’d do it again in a heartbeat. We made the seven hour drive on Friday, enjoyed dinner together at the Union Hotel in Volcano (a favorite) that evening, spent an intense day quilting and dehydrating on Saturday, had another wonderful dinner on Saturday night, this time at Lauren’s favorite Italian restaurant in Pine Grove, Giannini’s. Easter Sunday we were up early and off to the airport.

I’m reminded of something Verne said to me early in our relationship. He said, “I would drive an hour to spend five minutes with you.” And he often did. While I didn’t completely understand his outlook on life, which was in sharp contrast to my own practical approach, I loved his spontaneity then and over the years I’ve come to better understand it. Having a daughter with cancer has given me a new appreciation of Verne’s outlook. Life is all about love and little else matters. 

Rausch Family Visit

We enjoyed a quick visit from the Rausch family this past weekend. Rick, Lara, and their two precious boys arrived Friday evening in time for one of my favorite meals, Verne’s Spicy Pork Ragu, which had been simmering in the slow cooker all afternoon. A great meal enjoyed by all. Actually, it took a bit of bribing for Logan to eat Grandpa’s pasta, but Matthew made up for his brother’s reticence by eating an adult-sized portion. That kid can put away the food!

Verne always spends the weeks before a visit from our grandchildren planning an activity that will both interest them and expend some of their excess energy. This trip included a visit to Calaveras Big Trees State Park. The hike through the South Grove of giant sequoias never ceases to amaze (and sadden) me. The first stop on the walking tour is the Big Stump, which was felled in the mid 1800’s. The tree measured 24 feet in diameter at its base. Incredible! With a lifespan of 3,000 years, the tree would be standing today had it not been destroyed. Even larger and sadder is to see the Mother of the Forest, which was stripped of its bark around the same time and died shortly thereafter. All for the purpose of “reconstructing” the tree and taking it on tour.

From the perspective of two little boys, our Ponderosa Pines are an impressive size. For them, the fun was the hike, which included walking around, on top of, and through fallen trees and carryng a walking stick. Matthew was our tour guide. Not only can that boy eat, but he is an excellent reader. At each of the 26 points of interest along the 1.5 mile hike, Matthew (a first grader) read to us from the pamphlet we were given at the onset of our trip through the South Grove. It would seem education has advanced from the first-grade primer about Dick and Jane used in the 50’s when I learned to read!

Here are a few pictures from our visit to Big Trees...