I’ve never been much on Valentine’s Day, but it seems that it’s getting more and more popular every year.  One thing people like to do, of course, is to go out for a nice meal.  Last night a local TV station did a feature story on places to eat for VD, and they included Liza’s Kitchen.  They actually won’t be open for the evening meal, but they interviewed Chef Mike about things that people can cook at home to celebrate the occasion.  Mike did a great job, and you’ve got to love free publicity.

ED

I was discharged from the rehab center last Friday, and I’m making good progess on my recovery.  I now walk without the aid of a walker or cane, and I can go up and down the stairs easily.  My ribs are feeling better, although they do still hurt from time to time.  I haven’t started driving yet, but I see that happening in a few days.  Meanwhile, I am becoming increasingly addicted to HGTV, and I’m been doing a good bit of reading.

Love to all.  I appreciate your concern and best wishes.

ED

Today being Sunday, there is no physical therapy at the rehab center where’re I’m staying.  Beth came and got me about an hour ago, and I’ll be home for a few hours this afternoon.

I really don’t want to go into detail about what has been happening to me very much right now.  I think it’s going to take me a while to figure out what it all means.  I’m taking physical therapy twice a day, and I’m making progress.   I don’t know when I’ll be discharged, but I suspect it won’t be more than about a week. 

I appreciate all the prayers and good wishes people have sent me, and I hope to get back as a regular blogger in the very near future.

ED

Some of you who read this more or less regularly have probably wondered why I haven’t been posting. The simple reason is I had an accident and have been in the hospital–and now in rehab–since December 29th.  I missed a step on our stairs at home, and I went down.  It was the fifth step from the bottom, but it was still enough to cause several fractured ribs, a broken shoulder, and a broken collar bone.  I didn’t need surgery, thank God, but I’m slowing learning how to use all my parts again.  I can walk with support, and I can scoot around in a wheelchair pretty efficiently.  I’m home right now on an afternoon furlough, but I suspect to be in rehab for about three more weeks.

My wife has been the perfect helpmate and companion, and she continues to be.  Our daughters have been models of solicitude, and my friends have been devoted and more than kind.  I certainly don’t recommend what happened to me, but it could have been a lot worse. 

I don’t have access to a computer at the rehab center, as far as I know, but I’ll post as often as I can in the days and weeks ahead.

I covet your pryers, and I thank everyone who has offered good wishes.

ED

Beth and I were worn out with all our Christmas company. We went to bed at 11:OO last night, and we didn’t wake up until 10:00 this morning. We had wonderful fun, but it was exhausting.

ED

I guess I didn’t realize it, but 2009 ends the first decade of the 21st Century.  Newsweek Magazine has put together a 7 minute video about events of the decade, and it’s extremely interesting.  Ironically, I remember everything in the video, but it’s nice to have your memory refreshed.  Here’s the link: click here.  Can you believe we’re already a full decade into the “new millennium”?  I can’t.

ED

We had a fantastic and very busy day yesterday on Christmas.  It started around ten o’clock with brunch for eight.  Beth made a breakfast casserole with ham, eggs, cheese, and bread that was delicious.  We had a fruit salad, too, and biscuits and scones.  We ate a lot, of course.  The cast included Beth and me; Susan and Sean; Catherine, Mike, and Liza; and Grandma Jane, Beth’s mother.  Savannah, the yellow Lab, was also here, but she wasn’t at the table, obviously.

After brunch we opened presents.  That took about two and a half hours, and it was a lot of fun.  Grandma Jane’s gift of cash surprised us and brought tears to the eyes of several people.

After presents Cat and her family, and Grandma Jane, went home to rest up for Christmas night.  Several of us at headquarters took naps, and Liza got in a good nap at her house.

Around 6:00 PM everybody reassembled at headquarters for a big dinner party.  The friends and extended family came in, and there were 19 here for drinks, red beans and rice, pork roast, and Caesar salad.  We put out all the desserts we had accumulated, and we had a grand time.  Everybody was gone by 10:30, and we all more or less collapsed.  Liza spent the night with us (Cat and Mike have to work today), and Liza slept in the bed with Beth and me for the first time ever.

Over the 2-day holiday, Beth served a total of 41 meals: 14 for dinner Christmas Eve night, 8 for brunch Christmas morning, and 19 for dinner Christmas night.  I have no idea how many bottles of wine were consumed, but I know it was more than a couple.  A very good time was had by all.

ED   

Tonight we had fourteen people for dinner,and it was a wonderful occasion for our exended family.  Our children were here, as was Beth’s mother, and Liza was here, too, of course.  Other of Liza’s aunts and uncles were here, too.  Beth cooked a splendid roast tenderloin of beef, and she served delicious mashed potatoes, and we started off with a delicious creame of aspiragus soup.  Everything was delicious.

Last night Cat and Mike went to a birthday party for the wife of a girl I taught and whose parents we knew independently.  Cat said it was the birthday party of Melanie’s wife without so much as a blink.  Catherine has a husband; Melanie has a wife. That stuff doesn’t matter to me, and it obviously doesn’t matter to my kids.  I suspect that my grandchild won’t even know it was once an issue.

ED

Today a friend posted on Facebook what happened to her children’s Christmas toys.

They travelled from Atlanta to New Smyrna Beach in Florida to her husband’s family.  Like so many of us, they alternate between families.

They packed the kids’ toys in black plastic garbage bags so the kids wouldn’t see them.  When they got to New Smyrna Beach, somebody thought those black plastic bags were trash, so they put them on the curb for the garbage men.  The sanitation workers picked them up, and the toys were gone.  Today some special Elves had to hustle around town to replace the kids’ toys.  My friends can afford to do that, but isn’t this whole thing ironic?

Another thing that’s ironic is that Ali, Kriss, and those kids should be at our house Christmas night so the kids can play with Liza and their other cousins.  Next year.  For sure.

ED

We’ve had a big “family” gathering at our house on Christmas night for about 33 years or so.  I might be off by a year or two, but I don’t think so.  We missed a few years ago when we went to Colorado and Virginia for Christmas a couple of years to be with our kids at their houses, but this gathering has been pretty continuous except for that couple of years.

This year we’re expecting 19 people. It’s going to be red beans and rice and ham, I think, judging from the huge ham Beth brought home from the gorcery store today.  The ham was in a net plastic bag, and the bag had handles on it.  It was a serious piece of meat.

The reason I’m concerned about numbers is 1.) I have to set the table, and 2.) I have to account for the “correct” number of Holiday china plates and silverware.  We have quite a large amount of china and silver, but we don’t have enough china for 19 people.  I know I can borrow china from friends because I’ve done it before.  The irony?  Maybe we shoulden’t invite so many people. But, ironically, how can we not?  Family is family, plus we’ll serve the three kids cheese pizza on paper plates, and they won’t know the difference for several years to come.

ED