It's Nice to be Missed

Well, here I am.  Safe and sound.  I appreciate the various calls, emails and texts inquiring as to my well being.  I'm fine.  I just got bored with the damn blog.  And I haven't had a lot of interesting pics to post during our winter dark time.

So where were we?  November 26th.  Barely post-Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas.

The holidays were quite fun.  My buddy Adam was here for almost six weeks and I very much enjoyed his company.  He is back in Portland now enrolled in a vocational program.  He started work last Monday and seems to be doing well thus far.  Part-time work will be good for him financially and even more so emotionally I expect.  I do hope he will be back this way this Spring; but time will tell...

My pal, Enrique, left before Christmas but returned on January 7th with his dog Nikki.  I am very fond of the hound.  Nikki and I were left alone to our own devices while her Master performed in Anchorage for a couple of weeks. Enrique is a good guy and now back in Juneau rehearsing for "Seminar" which will play at Perseverance Theatre in March.  He is downstairs memorizing lines even as I type.  Nikki is snoozing on her bed by the Monitor heater.  She likes being a hot dog.

Daughter Amanda is back in Juneau after a trip to PDX and Hawaii.  I have spent some quality time with her since she returned.  She is interested in opening up a food cart downtown this summer.  Cool.  I will be more than happy to contribute sweat equity.  I will keep you posted as the business plan evolves.

The elders are doing reasonably well.  Mom's arthritis continues to worsen as does the associated pain.  Auntie has refused all offers of household assistance since her daughter left a few months ago.  A pity.  I thought we were doing rather well there for awhile; but she now refuses to let me do any house work.

I have, however, done lots of cooking.  And mom is now coming over once a week (weather permitting) to hang-out during the afternoon followed by supper when we are joined by Auntie.  Amanda made it a foursome this last week.  I enjoy cooking and they enjoy eating so it's a good day.  On Tuesday the entree was Prawns Oreganate from the Fiddlehead Cookbook.  One ingredient was goat cheese...wasn't sure how that would go down...but the prawns were a serious hit.  You just never know...

Yesterday I planted seeds - a bellflower mix and seedling dahlia mix.  They are both under the lights and over a heating pad.  After they sprout and I pot them up I will see if I can coax some yellow foxglove and a Columbine mix to hatch.

A couple of pics:

Enrique and his friend Chryssy decorated my tree

A beautiful winter scene from North Douglas

Adam is getting very good at his wire wrapping

It is my intention to post regularly...