FEATURED Morning Pops!

[GrammaJan]

Evening Pops and everyone.

Big day tomorrow. My first batch of ice cream for the year will be made. Since I'm mostly dairy free I use coconut milk for the base, vanilla bean, agave nectar to sweeten and a few other ingredients. Normally I will put in strawberries or swirl in a homemade (super easy) blueberry jam, but tomorrow I'm going to experiment and try to do a banana split version. Forgot the maraschino cherries, but that's okay. They'll overpower it anyway. Bananas, strawberries, pineapple and chopped walnuts should get me the flavor I want. Fingers crossed this works...

It's going to be stinking hot Sunday so it'll be a good day to stay in anyway. Got an indoor grill so me and the liquid smoke are going to work on some chops and chicken breast tomorrow too.

Quick daughter update... that guy that bought my plane ticket this past February? Yeah...he's really gone and done it now. BOUGHT A HOUSE! This is getting serious... (and I'm just realizing I'm now the only one in my family without a home. That's what I get for helping others all the time instead of looking out for myself.)

Everyone have a great rest of your weekend and stay safe in this whacky weather.

 

[LeonDixson]

Morning, Pops and everyone. Gramma, the ice cream sounds delicious. Send some my way. And good luck with the indoor grill.
DBRP, I'd be saying, "I didn't fall, I just got hot and decided to take a cooling dip".

 

[Montanalo]

Good morning Pops and Zoner Friends.

Boy, it's been hot the past several days... Hitting 90 F and with the altitude and very low humidity, it feels like a convection oven.

Nonetheless, I've been busy teaching scuba diving classes at a local reservoir. There must not be too many places where you can dive and still have site of snow-covered mountains.

I think I amuse many of my students. I wore a T-shirt yesterday with the caption, "Scuba Diving Grandpa.. What's Your Super Power?". Today, I am wearing my "All Dives Matter" tee. Not exactly PC, but good for a laugh.

How is your weekend?

 

[GrammaJan]

Morning, Pops and everyone. Gramma, the ice cream sounds delicious. Send some my way. And good luck with the indoor grill.
DBRP, I'd be saying, "I didn't fall, I just got hot and decided to take a cooling dip".

Thank you. I'm sure it will turn out good. I just need to read up first on how to treat the strawberries so they are edible and not just little red ice cubes. I think I'll need to cook them a little first. Maybe the pineapple too to bring those natural sugars out.

 

[Ranched]

Morning, Pops and everyone. Gramma, the ice cream sounds delicious. Send some my way. And good luck with the indoor grill.
DBRP, I'd be saying, "I didn't fall, I just got hot and decided to take a cooling dip".

 

[CouchCoach]

Evening Pops and everyone.

Big day tomorrow. My first batch of ice cream for the year will be made. Since I'm mostly dairy free I use coconut milk for the base, vanilla bean, agave nectar to sweeten and a few other ingredients. Normally I will put in strawberries or swirl in a homemade (super easy) blueberry jam, but tomorrow I'm going to experiment and try to do a banana split version. Forgot the maraschino cherries, but that's okay. They'll overpower it anyway. Bananas, strawberries, pineapple and chopped walnuts should get me the flavor I want. Fingers crossed this works...

It's going to be stinking hot Sunday so it'll be a good day to stay in anyway. Got an indoor grill so me and the liquid smoke are going to work on some chops and chicken breast tomorrow too.

Quick daughter update... that guy that bought my plane ticket this past February? Yeah...he's really gone and done it now. BOUGHT A HOUSE! This is getting serious... (and I'm just realizing I'm now the only one in my family without a home. That's what I get for helping others all the time instead of looking out for myself.)

Everyone have a great rest of your weekend and stay safe in this whacky weather.

Lemme know how that turns out. I've got one of those Cuisinart ice cream makers and the best thing I've made is Egg Nog ice cream. It's very complicated but I'll try to re-create the recipe for inquiring minds. Turn on the machine, open the carton, pour the Egg Nog in. I know, I know, I should have my own Food Network show, "Cooking for Idiots" because you have to be in idiot to watch this guy. But his recipe for a tomato is spot on. We're looking forward to seeing what he does when he figures out how to unwrap it. Could be an Emmy moment.

 

[GrammaJan]

Lemme know how that turns out. I've got one of those Cuisinart ice cream makers and the best thing I've made is Egg Nog ice cream. It's very complicated but I'll try to re-create the recipe for inquiring minds. Turn on the machine, open the carton, pour the Egg Nog in. I know, I know, I should have my own Food Network show, "Cooking for Idiots" because you have to be in idiot to watch this guy. But his recipe for a tomato is spot on. We're looking forward to seeing what he does when he figures out how to unwrap it. Could be an Emmy moment.

Ha ha ha... I'd watch.

I don't have the luxury of having an ice cream maker so I have to "churn" mine m'self. It's a rather long process but so worth it to me because I know what's in it. I basically keep it in my kitchenaid mixing bowl, like right now the base mixture just got done on the stove top. Cool it on the counter for about 30-45 minutes and then pop it in the freezer with the mixer paddle in the bowl. As its starts to set I pull it out, "churn" it on the stand mixer and then back in the freezer. I go through that 4 or 5 times (this does take a few hours)and then before it's too set up I stir in whatever my add ins are. I'm hoping to make some for the grands my next trip out to VA in October. It's really yummy when I did the strawberry or blueberry, so I'm hoping the "banana split" version works. Already thickened up my pineapple and strawberry mix ins. Walnuts are chopped. Bananas have been cut up a bit so they'll have flavor but still some form. Well on the way to something good for dessert after my grilled pork chop for supper. I haven eaten yet today so now I'm hungry. Time for a break any way.

 

[CouchCoach]

Morning Pops and friends. Got a toughy tonight, wish me well. I've mentioned my friend, Mike, that lost his wife and we texted yesterday and all is not well. I got him to use the grief counseling, mostly based on my mistake in not using it, but he stopped going and is drinking too much. I've been there, it is a temporary numbing agent that only serves to exacerbate the pain through trying to escape it. It doesn't go away and when it decides it wants to come out while your numb, that's not anything I would wish on anyone.

He's got people around like his two daughters and his sister is coming to visit this week so I feel good about that but he doesn't open up to them and only does to me because of our sharing the same experience. He's doing the natural thing, trying to find shortcuts through this but I told him this is a journey best taken by walking straight through it. I got through it, as best I could, by repeating the phrase "this is all temporary" over and over and when it got too bad, I just let go. He's still doing that and we can't get through a conversation without it changing from laughter, we have the same kind of sense of humor and are unapologetic absurdists, to turning on a dime to tears.

Most of us have had grief and the challenge with it is there's no map to tell us where we are. We think we are blazing some new trail that no one's ever walked before and that couldn't be further from the truth. I don't care how strong someone thinks they are, this is the time to lean, even fall and let others pick you up.

I will tell you, my fiends, as I will tell Mike tonight because I feel he is where I was. The pain of loss is extended by our willingness to accept our punishment. Guilt was my constant companion, taking so much for granted, and I wasn't content to just take it, I kept our house in Dallas for almost two years making that self flagellation trip every weekend. Mike doesn't want to sell his home, so many memories. Yes, so many memories, especially the ones he should try to forget.

 

[GrammaJan]

Morning Pops and friends. Got a toughy tonight, wish me well. I've mentioned my friend, Mike, that lost his wife and we texted yesterday and all is not well. I got him to use the grief counseling, mostly based on my mistake in not using it, but he stopped going and is drinking too much. I've been there, it is a temporary numbing agent that only serves to exacerbate the pain through trying to escape it. It doesn't go away and when it decides it wants to come out while your numb, that's not anything I would wish on anyone.

He's got people around like his two daughters and his sister is coming to visit this week so I feel good about that but he doesn't open up to them and only does to me because of our sharing the same experience. He's doing the natural thing, trying to find shortcuts through this but I told him this is a journey best taken by walking straight through it. I got through it, as best I could, by repeating the phrase "this is all temporary" over and over and when it got too bad, I just let go. He's still doing that and we can't get through a conversation without it changing from laughter, we have the same kind of sense of humor and are unapologetic absurdists, to turning on a dime to tears.

Most of us have had grief and the challenge with it is there's no map to tell us where we are. We think we are blazing some new trail that no one's ever walked before and that couldn't be further from the truth. I don't care how strong someone thinks they are, this is the time to lean, even fall and let others pick you up.

I will tell you, my fiends, as I will tell Mike tonight because I feel he is where I was. The pain of loss is extended by our willingness to accept our punishment. Guilt was my constant companion, taking so much for granted, and I wasn't content to just take it, I kept our house in Dallas for almost two years making that self flagellation trip every weekend. Mike doesn't want to sell his home, so many memories. Yes, so many memories, especially the ones he should try to forget.

It is a tough road indeed. I'll keep your friend in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[CouchCoach]

Ha ha ha... I'd watch.

I don't have the luxury of having an ice cream maker so I have to "churn" mine m'self. It's a rather long process but so worth it to me because I know what's in it. I basically keep it in my kitchenaid mixing bowl, like right now the base mixture just got done on the stove top. Cool it on the counter for about 30-45 minutes and then pop it in the freezer with the mixer paddle in the bowl. As its starts to set I pull it out, "churn" it on the stand mixer and then back in the freezer. I go through that 4 or 5 times (this does take a few hours)and then before it's too set up I stir in whatever my add ins are. I'm hoping to make some for the grands my next trip out to VA in October. It's really yummy when I did the strawberry or blueberry, so I'm hoping the "banana split" version works. Already thickened up my pineapple and strawberry mix ins. Walnuts are chopped. Bananas have been cut up a bit so they'll have flavor but still some form. Well on the way to something good for dessert after my grilled pork chop for supper. I haven eaten yet today so now I'm hungry. Time for a break any way.

You are serious about your ice cream. While that sounds like work, the reward seems worth it.

I don't care for the stuff that comes out of the machine because when I put it in the freezer, it gets harder than a hooker's heart. And I don't need ice cream anyway, need to drop some lbs because I am not doing enough exercise to burn the calories. My doc suggested I stop drinking alcohol and I suggested he get a better bedside manner.

 

[CouchCoach]

It is a tough road indeed. I'll keep your friend in my thoughts and prayers.

Appreciate it and you know just how tough it can get.

He's at that stage we all get to, "I should be better by now". Which obviously leads to "will I ever get better"?

Got a text while I was typing that we're moving it to next Sunday because his sister decided to move her trip up. Of course, that leads me to think there is a reason other than just a change of plans.

I am not one that people should ask "what's the worst that can happen"? I would have jumped off the Titanic leaving the pier and drowned a hundred feet from shore. One of the dangers of too vivid an imagination.

 

[GrammaJan]

Appreciate it and you know just how tough it can get.

He's at that stage we all get to, "I should be better by now". Which obviously leads to "will I ever get better"?

Yeah... and 3 years later I still hear or get a sense of smell about something that reminds me of him and I break down again. You never loose the love you have for that person, you just find a way to move on without the physical presence. For a few months after my guy passed (his name is Elisha btw... I don't think I've ever shared that, and people who haven't experienced what I'm about to say will think I'm crazy for the following statement, but those who have will understand)... he came to me in "dreams". Actual conversation a few times, though I wouldn't say I was necessarily awake or asleep at the time it happened. He always knew finances were a concern for me and told me in one of those visits that I was going to be okay. I'm still here, working and paying the bills, and have been able to squirrel away a tiny bit toward my hopes of having a home someday. Other 'visits' we were just there together. It was very peaceful. What strikes me most is that he was whole in body again. You see, he'd had to have his left leg amputated just above the knee about 3 months before he passed. In reality it bought him about 8 weeks and probably should never have happened. Idk that it really saved him any suffering, or maybe it did, but in our 'visit' seeing he was at peace and whole helped me a whole lot. Miss him terribly and haven't 'seen' him in a few years now, but every once in a while there's that hint of him being near. One thing I know for sure is the loss of a parent is very different from the loss of this type of love.

 

[CouchCoach]

Yeah... and 3 years later I still hear or get a sense of smell about something that reminds me of him and I break down again. You never loose the love you have for that person, you just find a way to move on without the physical presence. For a few months after my guy passed (his name is Elisha btw... I don't think I've ever shared that, and people who haven't experienced what I'm about to say will think I'm crazy for the following statement, but those who have will understand)... he came to me in "dreams". Actual conversation a few times, though I wouldn't say I was necessarily awake or asleep at the time it happened. He always knew finances were a concern for me and told me in one of those visits that I was going to be okay. I'm still here, working and paying the bills, and have been able to squirrel away a tiny bit toward my hopes of having a home someday. Other 'visits' we were just there together. It was very peaceful. What strikes me most is that he was whole in body again. You see, he'd had to have his left leg amputated just above the knee about 3 months before he passed. In reality it bought him about 8 weeks and probably should never have happened. Idk that it really saved him any suffering, or maybe it did, but in our 'visit' seeing he was at peace and whole helped me a whole lot. Miss him terribly and haven't 'seen' him in a few years now, but every once in a while there's that hint of him being near. One thing I know for sure is the loss of a parent is very different from the loss of this type of love.

Not crazy at all, I've often dreamt about my wife but the same oddity is always present. I know it's her but I never seen her face, not one time. I even caught myself trying and always wake up. Have no idea what that means and I am not interested in finding out.

 

[GrammaJan]

Not crazy at all, I've often dreamt about my wife but the same oddity is always present. I know it's her but I never seen her face, not one time. I even caught myself trying and always wake up. Have no idea what that means and I am not interested in finding out.

Idk either, but I believe it's all part of our healing and self therapy. We all experience different things based on our relationships. I don't dig into those types of things, I just accept them and am thankful for the time. With my dad, I was the proverbial "daddy's little girl" and had a heavy hand in his care while he was sick before he passed. Again it's a very different relationship than I had with Elisha, and I never had a 'visit' from dad. I think his passing was so peaceful and we had given all we had to each other.

Thanks for letting me put some of this very personal stuff out there. Part of the healing comes in the sharing and community with others in similar situations.

 

[CouchCoach]

Idk either, but I believe it's all part of our healing and self therapy. We all experience different things based on our relationships. I don't dig into those types of things, I just accept them and am thankful for the time. With my dad, I was the proverbial "daddy's little girl" and had a heavy hand in his care while he was sick before he passed. Again it's a very different relationship than I had with Elisha, and I never had a 'visit' from dad. I think his passing was so peaceful and we had given all we had to each other.

Thanks for letting me put some of this very personal stuff out there. Part of the healing comes in the sharing and community with others in similar situations.

Hey Jan, that's what this thread is all about. I think the man it's named after would be proud that posters are using his thread for that.

We're posters out there but in here, we're persons. I've used this thread more than once as therapy, sometimes it's cathartic just to get the feelings out.

 

[GrammaJan]

Hey Jan, that's what this thread is all about. I think the man it's named after would be proud that posters are using his thread for that.

We're posters out there but in here, we're persons. I've used this thread more than once as therapy, sometimes it's cathartic just to get the feelings out.

Yes sir.

 

[GrammaJan]

Afternoon Pops and everyone.

First taste of the ice cream with all the mix ins is a winner! Now it just needs to set up the rest of the way and it's open season. Can't wait!

 

[kskboys]

Not crazy at all, I've often dreamt about my wife but the same oddity is always present. I know it's her but I never seen her face, not one time. I even caught myself trying and always wake up. Have no idea what that means and I am not interested in finding out.

You loved her w/ all your being and nothing else matters. That's what it means.

 

[Runwildboys]

Morning Pops, and happy Monday to you all!...unless you don't like Mondays, in which case we have something else in common.

At least I don't have to leave the state today. Should be a nice, easy day, until I get back early and there's a lumber emergency, wherein someone needs there poplar today, before somebody dies of poplar deficiency.

 

[LeonDixson]

Morning, Pops and all. The 5 yr. old G-son cracked me up. His mom brought him home from the swimming pool and told him to change out of his wet bathing suit. When I walked past the hallway he was at the other end in front of his room butt naked, bent over with his hands on his knees sticking his butt way out swaying it back and forth saying, "Boom shakalaka, boom shakalaka, shake that booty, shake that booty!". I was too broke up to even think about getting a video on my phone. Y'all have a great day.