In this part of Scotland it's Merry Christmas and Happy New Year - mind you, if you travel not very far, it could be different. There are lots of regional variations in language.

Some Thanksgiving silliness from my occasional blog:



Includes photos!

http://radio.javaranch.com/ejfried/2008/11...7850188674.html

Actually, that looks pretty darn good! I've never created a turducken, but have the poultry means to do so here However, it would be rather a waste with only a couple of people eating it - forever!

Last night my mother had a stroke and I'm trying to get her sorted out. She was admitted to hospital and I guess they'll monitor her for a few days to see what's going on. At this stage it seems only speech that is affected with some clear sentences, then garbled speech like a completely new language. The brain fascinates me in how it controls so many functions that we just take for granted.

My mother is 84 and lives on her own so we'll see what the future will bring. So my availability time may go up and down over the next few days depending on what happens and how much time I need to spend at the hospital.

Ernest, That looks delicious!!!

Jeanette, sorry to know about your mother's helth, I hope she recovers fast and well.

I've been busy checking out the cheapest flights to London for Christmas I think I will manage to go !!

take care everyone

Jeanette,

Take all the time you need for your mother. At this moment she is most important in your life. Take care of her and do whatever you can and make her feel you are there. I can not give you any advice on what exactly to do. In this very same situation with both my parents I always followed my feelings and after many years I still find I managed.

All the best for your mother.

Jeanette, tragedy struck me twice around holiday time.First time it was my grandmother who raised me, she died on Dec 24 and i mourned her for three months; then it was my father-in-law, also stroke and also two days before Christmas; for the first time I saw how American hospitals operate and I was in shock ;and after he was transferred to another hospital in Miami we returned to California where i was rushed to hospital myself where I spent the turn of the century night and the following week.

I wish you to stay strong in the event that no Christmas miracle can save her for now.God be with you!

Jeanette, I hope that it will turn out to be a transient ischaemic attack and will resolve in a few days..........if not remember that even though she can't always communicate with you she can understand what you are saying, and the worst thing is if people baby talk to her - so let all the rellies know that.
I hope that you can have a good festive season in spite of what you have to contend with.

Ernest, are you saying that with a turducken that people put the fowls into one another???? How strange, I have never heard of that - or even imagined it ??? I personally would tuck into a vege lasagne (yum yum), if we had thanksgiving and a vegetarian to cater for, so many more veges can be added and yummy cheese/bechamel sauce to boot!!

Hope you can catch a flight in your price range Clara. With the price of oil coming down, so should airfares......... hopefully.

Thanks for your good wishes, I appreciate your kindness.

Clara, I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get a flight (I'm sure you will)

Cees, thank you for your kind words.

Elena, that's hard to lose people close to you around holidays.

Sue, she's had TIAs in the past with some speech loss but it has been temporary (minutes). This seems to have been a mini stroke the doctors are saying now as it is longer terms (48 hours currently) and affects speech only, other than that she's fine physically. She has some clear words or short sentences but then the words slur or aren't the correct ones. Her ability to remember what should be common things is distorted too right now. The medical team are playing the waiting game and monitoring her to see if the speech returns. She just wants to go home to her cats.

Jeanette.. so very sorry to hear of your mothers stroke ..
yes, I agree, the process of recovery is amazing .. when my father had his stroke his speech was ebonic .. he would get so frustrated at times and then would laugh uncontrollably because the only words that came out of his mouth clearly were curse words.. They were very shocking to hear... even to him ..He was at least communicating? Never ever could he get his L's to work so he called me Inez after his sister ( the L in Carol) and my middle brother was Speck,after his brother ( the L in Alan ).. I was amused but my brother was hurt .. he thought Dad had forgotten who he was..
Didn't mean to be long winded .. My best to your mother on her Independence !! so very important .. Keep us informed .. Carol( Inez)

Thinking good thoughts for your mum, Jeanette.

I am sorry to hear your Mom is going through this rough time.
I hope all will be well.

Jeanette, hope all is going well with your mom and that she will have a speedy recovery. You are right, the human brain is an amazing thing and it has an amazing ability to recover some of what it loses during a stroke. The after-care therapy is important - I don't know what the health care system is like there (probably much better than here!) - check into the occupational and physical therapy options for her. My prayers are with you and for a quick recovery for your mom!

Did anyone see the beautiful planet/moon line-up last night? The new moon, Venus and Jupiter are in a tight bright group that, from my understanding, only happens about every 50 years. It was so gorgeous, I had to get my camera out and head for the fields to get a picture.

Since I love sharing photography tips with others, I thought I would post a few here:

1. Take your flashlight! No matter how many times you've tramped across a mown field in search of your cats, dogs, spouse, you will always be surprised by the new go-cart track your hillbilly neighbors have installed and the nice knee-high fence surrounding it.
2. Take your gloves. It's cold.
3. Take your hat. See above.
4. Take dog biscuits to get past the very large (albeit friendly) pit bull dog that your other neighbors own. To calculate how many you need, estimate how many you will need to throw to get past him twice and multiply by 2. His name is Fonzie. He's faster than you think.
5. Put the remote control for your camera - which is the same size and approximate shape as a dog biscuit - in a different pocket from the dog biscuits. This will prevent you from accidentally throwing it to the dog and having to go retrieve it. You will need to trade a biscuit for it. See tip #4. Nice Fonzie.

Good luck, good shots and don't forget the biscuits!

Forget the biscuits !! I think those dogs are more in to raw meat ... carry a few big Stew Bones !! Love your humor and advice.. Fonzie sounds scary !!
I missed the line-up last night .. We had dark clouds.. Hope your Pictures turn out .. Would be amazing to see.. !! That was my last chance .. I'd be 110 before the next one..

Ncgirl, wow all that to watch the sky??? looks like quite an adventure!!!
I love your sence of humor Did you manage some nice photos? hope so!

I've been into another kind of adventures, like... car would't start Had to buy a new battery, then next morning it wouldn't start again because of the cold!!!! now I cover the motor up at night and seems it works!!OLD car and no garage for it that's what it is!!

That's funny ncgirl. I have this image in my head of the scenario...dog and all.

Cloud and rain here, so no night sky to be seen.

And I've just realized its December so I'd better start up a new thread!

Yes, Fonzie and I are becoming quite good friends. After his owner left this morning, I took some table scraps to him. He seemed to enjoy them. I'll retrieve my spoon tonight.

I'll post the pics I got last night on December's thread as soon as I get them off the camera. A brief look last night showed some fairly good ones. If the weather clears up, I may go out again tonight, but right now it's cloudy, and COLD!!!

See you all on December thread!

Ah NC, the question to me is why is the dog out of its yard that you need to bribe it??? Always my first thought - if you don't have a fence you don't get a dog (well at least not one that I bred when I was breeding and showing). But I can imagine you tip-toeing through a minefield of bizarre obstacles.

By the way you folk got the frowny face....................we got a smilie face downunder!

See you all in the December thread