Good morning world! Hope everyone enjoyed Chanukah, Christmas and Boxing Day! For those who celebrate Kwanza, keep the celebration going! Next up is New Years but I’m sure I’ve left out a lot of other celebrations and I do apologize as these are all I know. I also don’t know if everyone in the world does resolutions for the new year. I know holidays can be hard for many, we are reminded of people we love going before us or we are estranged from, sometimes remembering how life used to be before and the changes that have happened through our lives. Sometimes those changes are of regret and sometimes they’re unbelievable that we survived, sometimes both. I hope you all take a moment and breathe. BH and I went to a cooking class in Charlotte yesterday. Our part of the state has been having abnormally high temps this past week, like 20-30 degrees warmer, it was in the 70’s for Christmas, we’re supposed to be in the 40’s, maybe low 50’s. I thought I’d moved back to SoCal! The drive to Charlotte was a bit rough for my brain due to the sun coming through trees. I just closed my right eye:zany_face:
. We made fettuccine from scratch! I can’t believe how easy it was. The chef made two sauces, an alfredo and a tomato base with canned San Marzano tomatoes. No fresh tomatoes this time of the year in NC. Normally I’m not one that likes cooked pieces of tomato, don’t ask why, it may be a texture thing. But they were both good and even I could do most of it unsupervised! We both like to try new things and we both like to eat so it’s a win/win. Yes, I did in fact get overwhelmed but I didn’t forget to do my breathing, didn’t stutter much and enjoyed a conversation with a great young couple who had just moved back home after being stationed in Nebraska. I hope everyone gets to do a new thing that’s fun! Make your bucket list!
I’ll end this year’s welcomes with another quote from Tolkien but first I want to welcome our newest member and the last of this year!
@itawfik is down in TX. Ihab received coiling for a ruptured aneurysm four months ago where everything went okay, Ihab was working as an expat in Saudi Arabia when the rupture occurred. He was told everything looked ok on the follow up angiogram. Ihab came home for the holiday and wanted a second opinion. He showed the doctor in TX the angiogram that was done two weeks prior. The new doctor suspected something so he underwent another angiogram. The doctor is recommending a craniotomy. Ihab shares he has a lovely family of four with he and his wife along with twins! Wow! That’s a lot of angiograms in a short amount of time, right folks? I cannot imagine the concern and worry Ihab and his wife are feeling right now. Ihab we are here anytime you need to talk! Welcome and we look forward to hearing your story. Please start a new topic under the General tab. Any problems navigating the site, just reach out to myself @Moltroub or the fine folks @ModSupport. We also have some great members that are willing to explain how to do what you want.
“I sit beside the fire and think
Of all that I have seen
Of meadow flowers and butterflies
In summers that have been
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
In autumns that there were
With morning mist and silver sun
And wind upon my hair
I sit beside the fire and think
Of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
That I shall ever see
For still there are so many things
That I have never seen
In every wood in every spring
There is a different green
I sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago
And people that will see a world
That I shall never know
But all the while I sit and think
Of times there were before
I listen for returning feet
And voices at the door”
― J.R.R. Tolkien
Remember, no drinking or drugs while driving especially with kids in the car. Please be mindful of yourself and others. Most of all breathe and have a safe ending to the year and beginning days of the new year! I’ll see you on the boards!
Happy and safe New Year World!
Paisley
I walk by a guitar and I am easily distracted.
