Good To Be Back Home Again

When we left for Southern California a couple of weeks ago, I thought, "Gee! It will be warmer there, so let the fun begin!" Instead, the weather was record-breaking in its coldness and it even snowed not too far from Trudy's place where we were staying under the carport in our little teardrop trailer. And it rained, too. My flip flops remained in the suitcase.

Of course, as soon as we got home, the Cali weather recovered and temps were a balmy 75 degrees. Just my luck!

It was still a good visit and Trudy was much better after having picked up a vicious flu bug at our place during her Thanksgiving visit. Thanks to excellent nursing from Pattie and with Z's weekend respite care, she's back in the game and once again beating me at Words With Friends.

After a brew pub dinner and night spent with brother K and sis-in-law J at their Isabella casita, we headed back to NM, provisioned ourselves at Trader Joe's and drove north.

Now we are home and it's time to declutter and get rid of the dust rabbits (they are bigger than dust bunnies) which have accumulated since Thanksgiving. (I had the flu, too, and then there were Christmas presents to make and to buy and then it was time to go!)

And there is sewing and quilt making to do, AQS Quilt Week in Albuquerque, a Growing Dome to plant, and an Arctic Front coming in.

 Let The Fun Begin!

It's Trudy's Birthday and She Made A Gorgeous Afghan (or two)

Happy Birthday to Trudy who is 93 years old today. She's my treasured mom-in law, caregiver to husband P, mom to three, grandma to 8, great-grand to 7, and there's even one great-great granddaughter!

She's an accomplished sewist, knitter, and crocheter, tireless go-getter, and still keeps on going, like the Energizer Bunny.

The day or two after Christmas she says, "Okay, if you want me to make anything for your Christmas presents next year, you have to tell me now!" For a while T asked for two sweaters every year, and he has an amazing collection that will last him until he is 93 himself.

So we get out the books, look on the internet, and choose what we want.

Last year M and I chose the same afghan. What's nice about choosing a year ahead of time is I almost always forget what I ordered.

Christmas is about surprises, so that's what happened again this year.

 
Trudy used all her scrap yarn and bought more to complete two big afghans. She says it's something she likes to do while watching television in the evening. Trudy doesn't like to just watch; she has to have a project going. I can relate.

So Happy Birthday, Trudy! The Sizzler salad bar awaits.

Trudy's Coleslaw

 If you don't like coleslaw, then we have something in common. The coleslaw I remember as a child was swimming in watery mayonnaise, the cabbage limp. And let's not blame my mom; she never made coleslaw.

Instead, this icky slaw (isn't slaw a gross-sounding word?)  was a side dish served when my mom and I had lunch at a local restaurant or scooped from a cardboard cup included with takeout Kentucky Fried Chicken. There was an odd tang to the dressing and it tasted old. And amazingly, I think my parents must have agreed with me, because they didn't make me eat it, except for one Girl Scout bite once in a blue moon.

When I was fifteen and a half, working my first job as a short order cook at Waltze's Drive-In, I learned why the dressing tasted weird: it came from giant plastic jars, the dressing made years before it was finally mixed with the cabbage.

The first time I had my mom-in-law's coleslaw I was transported. Trudy's coleslaw was fresh tasting and crunchy, with not just cabbage, but chopped bell peppers, carrots, onion, celery, whatever she felt like adding that day. The dressing reminded me of my mom's beloved potato salad and I became a lover of coleslaw, at least Trudy's.

A few years later I received a treasured present: family recipes with stories about each dish, painstakingly transferred to 3 by 5 inch cards in Trude's handwriting. The coleslaw recipe was there. The recipe is not always the same, but evolves depending on what's in the fridge or the pantry.

Trudy's Coleslaw

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise (up to half of this can be yogurt or sour cream)
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar (start with 1 tablespoon and then taste. Add more if you want)  
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard 
• 1 teaspoons black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
• (you may substitute 3/4 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning for the salt and celery seed)  
• 1-2 tablespoons milk if your dressing seems a little thick
• 4 cups shredded or finely chopped green cabbage (mix in a little red cabbage for color if you want)
• 1 cup shredded or finely chopped mixed veggies (carrot, onion, bell pepper, celery, etc.) 
• Optional garnish: sliced green onion tops 

 Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients.

2. Add the cabbage and other veggies to the bowl. If your hands are clean and no one is looking, use them to mix the dressing and the shredded veggies. (Don't feel weird doing this because lately I've noticed chefs using this technique to mix salads.)

3. Garnish with some sliced green onions, if you wish.

Crafty Wednesday-Trudy Knits! She Creates! She's 91!

This is Trudy, my mom-in-law, looking glamorous in MBB's sunglasses and her vintage mink.  Not only does she tip the scale for elderly glam, but she's also the most giving person I know. How giving, you might ask.

A few Christmases ago Trude made knitted and felted wool purses for all the granddaughters, five of them, plus one for me and one for Pattie, her daughter. Seven knitted purses? I'd be nuts after making just one! For years Tom asked for and received two hand knitted sweaters for Christmas. I think I counted over fifty Trudy sweaters when we were packing up to move. Each year, after we open Christmas presents, she brings out her knitting books and we place our orders for next Christmas. She says knitting relaxes her. (I'm still looking for the relaxing part when I knit.)

Just a fraction of Tom's hand knit sweaters, all made by Trude to his specifications

Trudy knitted the scarf on the left for Tom over fifty years ago. It has a few holes, but he still uses it. That's a duplicate on the right he requested recently. Tom wanted it as a spare.

 Trude is 91 years old and still creating. Her favorite thing to say is, "Just because I'm 91 doesn't mean I can't [insert activity here.] I want to be Trudy when I grow up!

Trudy was thrilled we could move to her favorite state, so she made this counted cross stitch picture as a house warming gift last year.  The stitches in this wall hanging are teensy. I don't know how the hell she was able to do this, but she did, beautifully and most successfully.

 Trude stitched these throw pillows for us last Christmas, and they look perfect on our living room couch.  Miss Bonnie loves them, too,  so I try to keep them at an angle so she won't use them as cat beds.

One reason we started this blog was to give Trude a taste of what it's like to live in New Mexico. We figured if she can't travel here, maybe we can bring some of it to her through our blog and its photos. So here's to Trudy, her creative spirit still bubbling over at the age of 91.

PS-Trude would want you to know that she doesn't usually wear sunglasses inside the house and the mink was dug out of storage for this photo op.