Thanksgiving for 2 1/2 stomachs

     Although Cindy was working today, she did not have to go in until four so there was time for a turkey dinner.  We had all the classics, but on a small scale.  Durelle found a 9 1/2 pound turkey which we accompanied with mashed (riced) potatoes, stuffing, gravy, butternut squash, boiled onions, cranberry jelly and pumpkin pie.  Everything came together right at two-o-clock as if by magic.  It all started with stuffing the turkey.

     That's the potato ricer in the background.  I had recently read a couple of food articles in the run-up to Thanksgiving that claimed that mashed potatoes made with a ricer were absolutely the best way to make mashed potatoes but that, alas, no one has a ricer anymore.  Guess what?  Perched on top of one of our kitchen cabinets as a decoration was Durelle's mother's ricer complete with the conical wooden "pestle".  I got it down and Durelle cleaned it up.  Who knows how old it is...a century?  I did a dry run last week and today turned out a wonderful batch of potatoes.  Instead of dirtying some other implement, I also used it to mash the squash.

     Once the turkey was stuffed, properly seasoned and oiled, the roasting pan was carried out to the Traeger pellet fed grill.  I have a remote thermometer.  One sensor gets inserted into the inner thigh of the turkey.  The other clips to the grate of the grill to provide the oven temperature.  These temperatures are wirelessly remoted to a monitor inside the house.

     The spritzer bottle holds apple juice which is used to periodically to baste the bird.

     Here it is almost done.  Is that the smallest turkey you ever saw?

     The table to which this bird is headed is equally modest...just three plates.  

     Besides, Cindy with her gastric bypass surgery, was tortured by the small size of samples she could have.  Her mother's stuffing brought great appreciative sighs at each of the two bites she felt she could have.
     Still it was a great Thanksgiving.  The scene below has nothing to do with triptofan.  He always looks like this.

     I hope your Thanksgiving was as enjoyable as ours and that you stop from time to time to recognize all that we have for which to be thankful.

Thirty Thousand

     This is a picture of one of the many blossoms on our Confederate Rose, hibiscus mutabilis.  It is pretty, but the da#### thing is still a weed.  In three years it has grown from a mere cutting to where it is taller than our eaves and is covering our back door.  Plus, it was planted inches from the foundation.  When it is done blossoming, I'm cutting it down.  I MAY save a cutting for another location.
     The real reason for today's post is to note the milestone of 30,000 page views.  In the world of professional bloggers that's a day's tally.  In my world it is a few loyal readers who have stayed with me for over five years.  I will take this opportunity to thank you all...or by now I should be saying "y'all".  At any rate, thank you very much.

Halloween

     Over the past few weeks I have posted pictures of several examples of the assorted wildlife that has wandered into our yard.  Thursday there were several more strange examples See the pictures below.

     It is also about time for an update on my shoulder.  After the "excitement" of the immediate post-op period, recuperation has settled into a more conventional routine.  The arm is still in a sling and will be for the foreseeable future.  Initially, the PT will be limited to "no-load", small movements well within my comfortable range of motion...which isn't much yet.  I'm afraid it will be a while before I can begin to rebuild it.  Last Tuesday I had an interesting post-op meeting with the guy who operated on my shoulder.  'Twas a bit humorous.  After 15 minutes of my telling him about tape damage to the skin, several unsuccessful IV attempts, an IV in the neck, a dye-assisted CT scan and two days of a suppressed lung function, he interrupted to say, "By the way, I successfully repaired a completely torn rotator cuff."  I had to laugh.  He thinks that if I am careful, I should regain full motion and function, but he is talking in terms of months. 

     I'm mobile; I can drive; and I can do most everything I need to do.  Although I managed to shave left-handed this morning, I asked Durelle to trim my sideburns.  She has taken over some of my chores temporarily, but I hope that will be short-lived.  The bottom line is that I am fine and recuperating (slowly).  The hip may have to wait a while.  Physical therapy starts Monday.