Not Quite 'Suck It, Martha!' Status, But Give Me Time!

The first year the ex and I separated, I was NOT looking forward to Thanksgiving.

In the 14 years we were together, I never really had to cook 'The Turkey.'

Either we had gone to Mom & Dads, or to the Mother In Laws, or the ex cooked it himself.

Don't get me wrong, I always helped with the preparation of the meal, but I was simply the sidekick to the chef. Whoever that may be.


My mother? Awesome cook! Really wish I had inherited that trait from her.

Didn't happen.

And bake? There was ALWAYS fresh baked treats in my house growing up.

When I think back to when I was a kid, the place in the house I remember my mom the MOST, was in the kitchen, hands covered in flour, baking something(s).

Me? I can do a Betty Crocker box or package, and a half decent Kitty Litter cake. That's it. I know my limits.


So that first Thanksgiving, the boys were only 4 & 8 and not really caught up into the whole 'festive meal' thing.

For me, the idea of being responsible for the WHOLE Thanksgiving event seemed very daunting.

Since it would only be the three of us, I played it safe and instead of a full fledged turkey, I bought a ...

Cornish hen.


I explained to the boys that since it would be only us for dinner, I simply got a smaller turkey.

Oh yeah. I went there.

They really didn't care. They were having turkey, and mashed potatoes!

The mashed potatoes being a special treat, as it's not something I make on a regular basis, because growing up, we had it almost on a NIGHTLY basis.

My dad was very much a meat and potatoes man lol.


That first year wasn't perfect, but it was our first as a newer version of 'the family', and we still had lots to be thankful for.


This year, having had surgery less than a week before, I didn't exactly feel like standing at the counter peeling potatoes, carrots, and dealing with the bird.

Yes, I have progressed since the year of the Cornish hen.


However, Thanksgiving and children wait for no recovery.

And just because I didn't necessarily feel like putting the work into it, didn't mean the boys didn't deserve a real Thanksgiving meal.

And we still had/have lots to be thankful for.


So, not only did I mash those potatoes, glaze the carrots, add sweet corn, and cook that turkey to a state of tender perfection, I ALSO did something else that day.

Something I had never attempted before.

I baked my FIRST EVER apple pie!

That's cinnamon on top, not burnt crust ;-p

I definitely didn't have enough dough, and even though Adam was impressed with the 'fancy top, Mom!', I sort of ran out over there on the right.

That's OK though, lesson learned for next time.

Yes, there WILL be a next time, because the filling? OH YEAH! Jackpot, Baby!

Not quite 'Suck It, Martha!' status, but give me time!

The boys didn't care it was a little crust-less, they had it gone by the next day!

Alec's comment after his 2nd bite, 'This is the first time you've made this?'

Me, 'Yup'

Alec, 'Won't be the last ... '

Well then, I guess the child has spoken.

And so, by the way, did the Psychic. About apples.

But that's another post, for another day, soon.

It IS however, one of the reasons I DID bring up the apple pie. Remember that.

Hope all my Canadian friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope my American ones enjoy a great day with their family and friends next month as well!

K.

Renovations Of Body, Mind And Home

You know how you run into someone you haven't seen for awhile, and they say, 'Hey! How have ya been?'

There's one type of person who will always answer 'Oh GREAT! How 'bout you?'

Nothing more. Nothing less.

Then, there's another type of person who will reply with, 'OMIGOD! You wouldn't believe it if I told you! There was this, then that, and of course the other thing, and then that strange rash that came out of NOWHERE ...'

You know.

More information that you expected, or maybe even wanted.


Usually, I try to be the first person.

However, since I seem to have been neglecting the Korner for the past month, I'm about to turn into the second one.

Without the rash.


Things are in the midst of change around the Korner.

Renovations of sorts.

Renovations of the body, mind, and ... home!

Definitely a good thing, but all of which have taken me away from blogging this past month.



I had surgery almost three weeks ago. Nothing serious. Nothing lung related.

But something that would have to be done eventually, and with the possibility of the whole lung thing eventually getting worse as I get older, which in turn could potentially interfere with any type of surgery requiring anesthesia, it was simply best to get it done now, while I'm still (for at least most of the year) healthy.

End result was a 7-10 day recovery, stitches, pain, pain meds and a whole lot of discomfort.

I understand everyone heals differently, but holy crap! One particular side effect of the procedure stayed with me until day 10.

My body didn't return to 'normal' until the 12th day. And even then, it still wasn't 100%.


Add the duties of Mom to the recovery, and needless to say, I had NO interest in spending any amount of time at the computer.

Blogging or otherwise.


I'm fine. Things went well.

They let me go the same day, just before dinner.

A little altered, physically and mentally, but they released me to my mom, nonetheless.


Here's what I don't get though.

Why would the hospital provide CLEAR plastic puke bags for the drive home?

Do they REALLY think people on one of the busiest streets in Halifax WANT to look over and see what's going on in that bag?

I'm thinking ... ummm ... NO!

Thankfully I didn't have to use it ... much ;-)

And thanks Mom, for coming to take care of me for a couple of days! Once again, don't know what I would have done without you!


Renovation of the body.



Before I went in for the procedure, the nights leading up to it were spent on the computer, but once again, away from the Korner.

After six years, I went down to Family Court one day at lunchtime and bought the CD that contained the forms I need to file for divorce.

After six years, I'm getting a divorce, and I'm doing it myself.

No lawyer.

Nobody is better capable to describe to a judge the way the past six years have been, and the way they should have been, than me.

I've lived it. I can tell it best.


However, I'm not about to dump all the dirty details here.

Sorry People, if you were looking for a train wreck of nastiness, you're not going to find it in this Korner.

And if that WAS what you were hoping to read, please let me refer you to Rules #1 & #3 of this Korner;

I will not use my words to intentionally hurt my kids
I will not bash the ex. (as rule #3 inevitably breaks #1 also)


What I WILL say, is that filling out your own divorce papers is alot of work.

Especially if you want to do it right, and well.

It all takes time.

Unfortunately, time I've had to take away from the Korner, but again, something that needed to be done.

Especially with the ex planning a move to Australia in the near future.


And after six years, it was simply time.


Renovation of the mind.


Now. The house.

And I'm not talking ONLY the (w)rec(ked) room here, People!

I mean, the house.


If you know me, or have spent any amount of time in the Korner you know I hate my house.

Yes, I know, that's a harsh thing to say.

I shouldn't use the word hate.

But you tell me, when you walk through the door every day, put that foot over the threshold, and the first thought that comes to mind is, 'UGH! I hate this house!'

Does that sound like love to you?

No.

I don't want to hate my house. Especially since the boys love it so much.

But this house has been my nemesis since the day we moved in, seven years ago.


So, WHY, you may ask, did we ever buy a house I didn't like?

Ahhhh, well that's easy.

It was available at the right time, for the right price, in the right location, and came full of promises.

Namely, 'oh don't worry about the unfinished basement (etc.), I'll be able to finish that off no problem.'

And it might have been.

Had the ex and I stayed together.

But we didn't.

And the (w)rec(ked) room stayed as it was. Unfinished.


The rest of the house has it's good qualities.

When we moved in, the kitchen and bathroom were brand new. Nice ceramic tile, new counters.

Other parts of the house however, were missing things like baseboards and trim.

No closet doors.


And all of it has stayed as it was. Unfinished.

I won't go into all the whys of that, as I'm sure you can find it easily enough peppered throughout the 'My Opinion On Stuff' category, over there on your left.


Suffice it to say, after trying to simply sell and move on, a couple of times, without success, one day I finally took the blinders off, turned off tunnel vision on the selling, talked to the bank and ...

Renovations start NEXT WEEK!!!

WOOHOO!

Finally finishing the basement and the rest of the house will get a face lift!

Baseboards, closets, and paint ... OH MY!


Seriously though, it's nice to be EXCITED about my house for a change.

CAN'T WAIT... to start!

And again, to those of you wondering WHY I didn't just finish off the (w)rec(ked) room before now?

Lots of reasons.

Money always being a factor. Especially considering this isn't going to be a small project.

Like I've said before, when I'm looking at $600 for the boys to play basketball, or drywall and flooring ... basketball or drywall and flooring ...

Basketball and everything else THEY need wins out every time.

Now, I have enough to at least make it functional, and livable and dare I say, maybe even ... NICE.


And another huge factor?

See this guy?

He's the contractor (yes, that's the wrecked room).

He's also a friend of mine, who, although I've known since I was 19, and even was roommates with for awhile before moving in with the ex (platonicly, People!), I hadn't been really in contact with him up until last year.

HE is a factor that now makes a difference.

Not only a contractor, but someone I trust to do the work.

THIS has all kept me away from the Korner because I've been trying to find 'renovation items' on Kijiji in the evenings, after the boys go to bed.

Like the new-to-me $1500 wood stove I found for the new rec room, for $250.

YES! Thank you, Kijiji! Love you! *Smooches!*

Renovation of the home.

And in other news ...

If all that wasn't enough, there were other events and adventures throughout the month that I will be posting about here soon, but I thought they simply deserved their own entries.

Such as ...

this year's Thanksgiving
the cool new stuff I've been given and asked to blog about
another potential giveaway
the Psychic I saw recently and what she had to say

and of course, Bret Hart Day!

Bret definitely gets his own post!


But for now, I'll leave you with this ...

OH. YEAH. BABY!

K.