Now we are cooking!

Today, Sunday, marks the end of the first two weeks following surgery.  Dr Waziri said they would be the most difficult, but I was struggling to believe that anything would change until yesterday when I saw some improvement in Brad.  He wasn't nearly as sleepy, partly due to taking less narcotics. It's one day at a time. A curious week.....
 On Tuesday, he wanted to get a few things at the grocery store, so I flew home on my lunch hour and away we went to WalMart (his first outing since surgery). He had no trouble finding his way around the store, only with labels that he was unfamiliar with. We finished up and headed to the checkout when he glanced over at a woman entering the store and asked me, "Is that Ruth Barsch?" (Ruth was the wife of our boss when we got our first jobs the week of our wedding in 1969). Crazy that he remember her, but didn't know the word for pasta! The brain is a strange thing!

Thursday night I got home from work and Brad had not only cleaned up the kitchen, but wanted to make some dinner. Hooray! I asked what he was making and he said it was a pasta/chicken dish. He proceeded to cut up the chicken, some green peppers and onions and had the pasta cooking, but that was where he faltered, not remembering what was next. I made some suggestions, but nothing was satisfactory. Eventually I took over, added some roux and white wine and had it simmering when he came over to the stove, looked at what was cooking and said, "that's not what I had in mind". Never did come up with what exactly that was. He was frustrated.
Thursday morning Spencer, Gabi and Corbin went to California to see Nana (Nancy) and to attend the annual Santa Party which has been a tradition since Spencer and Sarah were little. They came to say goodbye the night before.  I miss them, but am glad they can spend time with Nana. Unfortunately, Great Grandma Doris is very ill, hospitalized and Nana has had to spend much of her time with her Mother.  They will come home Tuesday.  Carrie has decided that as much as she craves some "alone" time, she doesn't really like being alone! She has used this time to finish Christmas shopping, clean her house and get caught up on laundry!

Here's an excerpt from dinner Friday night...Gramma, "Boy, bridge was fun today except that we had to play with 7 instead of 8 (people). I had a hand with 8 hearts and the Ace, king of spades. I made a slam but didn't bid it. It sure seems like Saturday today. But I go get my head washed tomorrow and it needs it cuz it itches. The hostess today who is 97, (but plays bridge real good), brought some brownies and sparkling grape juice. I asked her if the brownies were "laced". She said she didn't think so and I told her it was too bad about all those people getting sick on brownies." Mercy!!!!!! I am grateful for dishes to load in the dishwasher and a full glass of wine!

Saturday Carrie and I shopped, hopefully finishing up with Christmas gifts.  We were invited to a cookie swap Saturday night and I thoroughly enjoyed getting out.  Such a wonderful group of young women! (Including of course, Meredith, Carrie and Amie).

Brad and I had a long conversation about how he really wants to get back to work.  I truly hope that he can do that, although I worry that he isn't ready yet.  And the fact that he still had trouble reading makes me apprehensive about  the workplace.

Sunday...I'm exhausted!  I spent five hours wrapping gifts (oh my aching back!)
with Grandma's assistance until her arthritis got the best of her and she had to quit!
I think it's good for her to do something.  This week she has unloaded the
dishwasher a couple of times, which I appreciate.

We went to WalMart to get groceries for Sunday dinner.  Such a trip going to the store with Brad!  He wanted to go along to get a couple of things (things which he had forgotten the names for), one being something we were out of that came in a red package.  Hmmmmmmm. Anyway, it turned out to be a package of au jus. We decided to have spaghetti and meatballs, for which he located the recipe on his own.  It took him quite awhile to read the recipe, but he did it and made the sauce and the meatballs without my help.  And it was delicious!

Grayson and Elijah

 The kids definitely missed their cousins with the Frosts in California and Rory with his Mom, but Grayson attached himself to Elijah and Sophie to Emma and they had their usual fun Sunday.

The crafty girls made this