The Fifth Wave: a movie review?

Tags

movies, postaday2016, sleep

    
My husband and I went to see the only science fiction movie playing, The 5th Wave, he liked it, he thought the story was fairly compelling, the acting good and the suspense, right where it should be, Chloe Grace Moretz is a young actress that we have liked for years and she basically carried the entire movie and did it beautifully.

I, on the other hand, can’t say the same, I fell asleep during the movie, the first time ever; now you know why I put a question mark after the phrase movie review, I can’t really give one, I fell asleep on the job. LOL

From what I saw, the movie was pretty good, as I said, I love Chloe Grace Moretz, she is an adorable young actress and I believe her in any role she plays, the other young actors were fine, the story itself was interesting, aliens taking over the world, a solid classic plotline, so the only thing I can blame the sleep on are my medications, they are making me a poor movie critic. Lol 

My new full-time job

Tags

job, medication, postaday2016, treatment

When I was diagnosed, I barely remember the date, it has become so foggy what  with all of the appointments and the deluge of information, I never thought that keeping myself “comfortable” would become a full-time occupation. In between the pain medication, the anxiety medication, the keeping regular medication, making sure that I eat between 60 to 85 grams of protein a day and that I get an uninterrupted night’s sleep, it is a lot to manage. There are days when I feel overwhelmed, not because I am frightened, but because having my body be in constant communication with my brain is too much. It seems everything in my body is at odds with each other and with me and it is a lot to handle 24/7. If it seems that I am complaining, I apologize but I needed to vent, I write daily because it helps me cope, but there are many days when what I write doesn’t reflect my inner turmoil, it reflects how I want to see my day being, full of hope, optimism and happiness, but not what is really going on inside. Usually I don’t mind keeping everything inside, today I choose to write what I feel because it is what is best for me and my psyche; it does a person good to release the pain and the tension.

Boys will be boys

Tags

pets, postaday2016, tug of war

This is one of only times we successfully captured Jack and Stanley playing tug of war. My son was really on the ball with this one, ordinarily I’m so caught up in “How adorable!!!”, that my cellphone is left alone to the side, while all of the action unfolds before my very eyes and by then, it’s too late to film, because either Jack has won or Stanley has given up; in either case, Jack struts around like the boss because he thinks he won fair and square. They never disappoint when it comes to putting a smile on my face and a lift in my soul.

Northampton, MA seen through a dirty windshield

Tags

Haymarket Cafe, Northampton, postaday2016

   
   
The children and I went to Cooley Dickenson for my 9th radiation treatment, our plan was to enjoy a fantastic breakfast afterwards, Northampton is a treasure trove of original cafes and ethnic restaurants. My son took us to the HayMarket Cafe and we had excellent eggs, complemented with delicious house made sourdough bread and tender roasted potatoes, I supplemented my coffee with a Blue Ivy smoothie, delicious in its healthy goodness, resplendent with spinach, chia seeds, coconut milk, banana and blueberries. We are definitely doing this together again, maybe not at the HayMarket Cafe, but somewhere new since there are so many, we could make it a culinary adventure once a week.

   
    
 
   
 

My blueprint for soup

Tags

postadya2016, soups

  
In my mind if you have everything in the picture above, you can do anything, not just soup but so many other things, such as stews, sauces, rice dishes, there is nothing that you cannot do, if you have this simple grouping on hand.

My soups are all very simple, an onion or two diced and sauteed until translucent, I add the chopped garlic at the last minute with the vegetable, I add about two chicken stock packages and then I add the salt, pepper and thyme, if it’s butternut squash, I use thyme and sage, otherwise I keep it simple, salt, pepper and thyme. The last step is to use my immersion blender, I like my soups thick so I reduce it for a bit before I puree the thing, but if it’s too thick for your taste you can always add more chicken stock. Soup is very hard to mess up, trust me.

I wrote this post with my friend jmgoyder.wordpress.com in mind. She has gotten to making soups lately and I wanted to share some ideas and recipes. 

Getting my exercise

Tags

dogs, pets, postaday2016

   
    
 My husband took me and the dogs for a walk. LOL

 It was his idea which I thought was so sweet, he knows how much I love walking the dogs and for him to offer to take us was a very lovely gesture. It was a great idea because we haven’t walked Stanley on a leash since before Christmas and I don’t think Lulu or Jack have been either, so those two were chomping on the bit, but Stanley was his usual mope yo- bope yo self, walking up ahead and sitting down to wait for us. He is such a mellow dog, Lulu and Jack were on sniff patrol, they acted as if they hadn’t sniffed anything in the park for a thousand years while Stanley lumbered after them, mildly curious. 

It felt good to get out into the fresh air and it was such a mild day in Blandford, a real pleasure to stroll in the park. I had so much fun with my husband and the dogs. It gave me the boost I needed today.

Soups will soon be my lifeline

Tags

postaday2016, soups

   
   
Soups are one of my favorite foods to eat and thank goodness for that because as soon as this week passes, my irradiated esophagus will probably only welcome soups and maybe other softer items as well. Over the years of writing, I have shared many recipes of my go to soups such as butternut squash, broccoli soup, cauliflower and broccoli soup and cauliflower and leek soups. These soups are my favorite because I love the texture, the creaminess and the heartiness provided by a simple marriage of vegetables, chicken stock, aromatic and spices. You just can’t go wrong, I puree them because it means you don’t have to worry about dicing everything uniformly and I love thick soup, but without the cream, so either potatoes or vegetables stalks provide the added fiber to give the impression of creaminess, an easy enough trick to pull off.

I am going to spend some time in the kitchen showing my son and my daughter how to make these soups, not just to feed me, but to feed themselves when they decide to leave the nest and go out on their own. They know how to make main course meals, but soup is in another class by itself and they need that skill in their repertoire.

Beauty in paper

Tags

paper, Paris, postaday2016

   
 
   
 
My very dear friends Claudine and Marc sent me this lovely card for the First of the Year, in France holiday cards are meant for wishing friends and family a happy New Year, Christmas is more of a religious holiday, the festivities are really reserved for the New Year. They also sent me an absolutely lovely film of an evening boat ride along the Seine in Paris, my husband and I felt as if we were on the actual boat, sitting back and drinking in the gorgeous nighttime scenery of Paris, the City of Light. My husband turned to me and said “this is what we will do the next time we find ourselves together in Paris” I can’t wait, I have never taken a boat ride along the Seine, so I have something new to look forward to and my husband knows how to make things like this happen and make it a lot of fun as well.

Sunrise in Boston

Tags

Boston, pictures, postaday2016

  
  
  
My husband took these amazing shots from our “second home” in Boston, I may be prejudiced, but I think he has a great eye and an excellent technique when it comes to photography. I’m fairly sure I’m repeating myself, but when the shoe fits…. I don’t think I have ever gotten as much detail on the waterway when I have taken similar pictures and I have taken quite a few, I also love the gradation of the hues in the sky, its subtlety is quite lovely.

With pictures such as these to look at, I will be getting impatient to be done with my treatments and to get back on the road again with my husband, visiting, eating out and taking pictures of both old and new places during our travels together.  

Two new gifts

Tags

drawing, gifts, postaday2016

  
Yesterday I was blessed by the two young ladies in my life, my daughter and my son’s girlfriend, they both gifted me with notebooks designed to distract me and inspire me. My son’s girlfriend’s book is the one titled Inspiration and that I will keep by my side to use whenever literary inspiration hits me, ideas come to me or if I need to vent my fears and frustrations.

My daughter gifted me with the most aptly titled book Cancer Sucks,  I laughed when I saw it, it suits the both of us to a tee, my daughter thought and rightly so that I could use it to get back to doodling, scribbling and drawing. So today I didn’t let any grass grow underneath my scratch pad and I doodled for the first time in a very long time. It might not seem like much, but I like this free flow type of doodling, no rhyme no reason, just the flow of the pen following my mood across the paper.

   
I got some great gifts. My son’s girlfriend made me a care package with not only the notebook, but a whole bunch of other items that I will need later on during my recovery; warm socks, black tea, lip balm and fragrant soap with an Eiffel Tower on the box, she made such a thoughtful gift box, I am very honored.

My daughter’s gift touched my heart because she was so excited to give it to me, saying that she wanted me to get back to drawing, I had no idea that she thought my doodling so worthwhile. I made a point to christen my drawing scratch pad immediately to show her how much her gift means to me. 

I hope my doodling gets better with practice. Lol