looking forward...
...to a new year, restored health, and more time with our grand boy!
started the new years still feeling cruddy from the bug I caught. Craig got 2 bottles of Prosecco for the New Years Eve toast, but it was several days before I could enjoy!
the first Tuesday I pulled myself together and made it to the first band rehearsal of the new season. lots of fun music - some of which I received last month, and more new pieces this evening. enjoyed a second rehearsal week before I was felled by illness again.
we have quite a citrus crop this year, the first year fruit has survived on two of the three trees we planted a few years ago. the lime hasn't produced anything, but the lemon has one dozen lemons on it, and the orange has one!
and there is one last D'Land Rose before the winter hibernation.
our injury-plagued 49ers could not beat the Eagles to gain advantages in the playoffs. it was painful to watch our awesome team be even more pummeled. it was even more painful to see them completely obliterated by the Seahawks. Janet had posted that she hoped to see the '9ers and the Texans in the S'Bowl, but 'twas not to be. sadness.
Craig made lamb chops for dinner one night, so I tried my hand at recreating a mint vinaigrette dressing similar to a famous Brit brand sold in stores. I cut mint off our garden plant, added a teaspoon of chopped garlic for zing, and let it rest in a jar of white balsamic vinegar all day. two thumbs up from both of us as we served it on our chops that evening!
made another trip into the office for activities I can only accomplish there, and was thoroughly overwhelmed by the fragrances in two hours. I had a 1:1 meeting with my manager, and she ordered me to reach out to our HR liaison about getting a health accommodation. we're supposed to be in the office four days a week, which of course would be detrimental to me. I successfully had my accommodation from 2015 extended from just Santa Clara to include Folsom also. that will be a relief!
had one more visit with my favorite stylist Anabel at the salon school. while I thought her graduation was the following week, because of her appointment schedule, it had been accelerated and moved up to the Friday of my appointment. she was given the option of not taking my appointment, but she wanted to see me one last time <3 we exchanged numbers so that when she is licensed and has her own chair somewhere, I can continue having her as my own stylist! I hugged her and wished her well on her special day as I left.
based on another recipe I saw in the Times Cooking section I made a ground lamb Shepherd's Pie with a sweet potato topping - bonus was that we had all the ingredients needed in the fridge and pantry!
Joyce and I received sad news about dear theater friends, young people who lost their lives in the crosswalk at their children's school. the flood of outpouring from our theater communities was overwhelming. a petition to add crosswalk lights gathered over 2,000 signatures in a few days, and a fund for the twins earned over $100K in a similar amount of time. Andrew and Stacia were truly the most generous, loving, caring, gifted people, and their loss will be felt for a very long time. their Celebration will be later in February.
I think C. brought another bug home with him from his work activities out and about, and my weakened constitution allowed me to fall victim again. I missed two band practices - both from the fragrance reaction and from this - since my breathing has been impacted by both. it's hard to play horn when you can't inhale and you're always coughing. the doctor tested me for covid and flu - both negative. based on my swollen throat I thought it was strep, but I have no high temp. still waiting at the end of the month for more test suggestions from the doctor.
one of my new online groups is a bay area culinary history gathering. besides dinners together they also organize webinars. I attended one about the history of anchovies in cooking by the writer of the book A Twist in the Tail. so fascinating! because I was sick, I missed out on auditioning for a local production of Murder on the Orient Express. so wish I could have been a part of that production! at the recommendation of my friend Barbara, she joined the Katie Couric Book Club whose first interview was with the author of the book The Correspondent. I listened to the replay of the interview, and was so fascinated that I got the audiobook to listen to later.
still battling a bug, I made a pot of hot sour wonton soup with glass noodles. I didn't use any recipe, just poured in the flavors I thought were needed - chicken stock, Chinese black vinegar, and hoisin sauce, all ingredients that were in our fridge and pantry. it was delicious, and soothing.
Aunt Denali emailed me asking about us three kids' college levels achieved. I reached out to Janet and Christian to get their details, and then called Denali to have a nice chat with her and tell her I was gathering that information. I did send her an update in email with our info plus Joyce's, since she surpassed my paltry achievements. Denali did agree with me that as smart as I am, imagine how much farther I could have gone if I had gotten a degree. I hope that I can possibly check that box during my retirement, taking final classes at Sac State, if enough of my Taylor and SJSU coursework transfers. Life Goals!!
