Halloween

 Wishing everyone a safe and happy Halloween!

love,

Carla and The Sofi-Cat

Slow Sleepy Sunday...Sisters Day...Last Chance...And Things That Go Bump In The Night

 

And that is why I'm sitting here in pajamas at noon with chips and dip and a bottle of Coke waiting for the Eagles-Steelers Game at 1:00.

Because it has been stressful for a few weeks.

How stressful???

Well, shingles...stressful. Even though I've had the vaccinations.

I feel like the damned commercial

                                    "Shingles Doesn't Care"

Pretty stressed before John started the radiation and chemo...and then the tiny blisters and itching started...around one side to my back...and itching doesn't do this justice. OMFG. Like 1000+ ants crawling beneath your skin.

Nothing compared to scratching open the blisters...now they burned like several circles of hell!

It has been a couple of weeks now...most are drying and scabbed and hopefully healing...but damn.

Anyway...pretty sure I'm going to survive.

Now...a third of the way through his treatments...John is beginning to have a bit of the fatigue...dry mouth...and basically chemo-brain fog/feeling off...that is associated with chemo and radiation.

He is eating well...continuing to exercise three times a week and has shortened his bike rides but is getting out almost daily.

The best thing is that he is maintaining good spirits and a positive outlook/attitude.

Hoping by his birthday and Christmas this all will be like a bad dream.

Tina and I, had our Sisters Day brunch yesterday...and hoping by November that Lisa will be recovered enough from her surgery to join us for a Thanksgiving Pitch-In. 

Made homemade vegetable beef soup...with T-Bone steak meat! Also a Boule of bread with butter and Banana Nut Muffins. 

I found a Lindt (Big) dark chocolate with sea-salt bar for her early Halloween.

She brought Chocolate Pudding Shades of nail polish and gave us both Chocolate manicures!

Shaped my raggedy nails into pretty ovals...kind of want to put an "M" on one of them...lol

Chatted..and, of course, delved into politics.

Being the political animals we are.

We've both already voted early...everything done but the counting.

Early turn-out looks promising...although probably not in our state.

And we've agreed that the champagne needs to be popped when Beto wins and Abbott loses...which seems fairly likely.

This year's candidates seem to fall into The Good, The Bad, the Ugly...and the Clinically Insane.

Speaking of which...

Halloween is upon us...it's practically here!!!

John's neighbor Chris' display.

and Chris...

Jimbo...who was attending the parade as a Leprechaun.

And more spooky stuff...

Really???

 Banned from the pumpkin carving contest for life...

But Fall has peaked here...

and the muted browns of November are coming.

Several of the more colorful Maples are still ablaze...but even the Cottonwoods and Sycamores are starting to shed ginormous brown leaves.

And don't even get me started about my Black Locust out back....which morphed from greens...to bright yellows and oranges...to muted orange and browns...then its six-sectioned leaflets all fell in a tiny flurry...and now it will remain bare until Spring.

My Daffodils and Muscari tucked in waiting quietly until April's warmth beckons them forth. 

As E.B White once called it...

The Resurrection

 

Getting ready for the Steelers-Eagles Game. Not particularly because I follow either team...but because the Eagles are currently 6-0 and damn!!!

Also since the Colts have benched Matt "Don't sack me again" Ryan and moved Sam Erlinger up to starter....I'm going to watch today and given them one more chance.

...don't blow it...

Love you all,

Carla and The Sofi-Cat

 

Okay...the Eagles are now 7-0 and Jalen Hurts is amazing! Beautiful team...and wouldn't be surprised if they make it way into the playoffs...maybe even SB material!
 

A bowl of veggie soup and soon to catch the Colt's Game and see how Erlinger does.

 Okay...Erlinger looked great...particularly in that 2nd half.

You know who LOST us that game...by one point

Frank "No balls in the Red Zone" Reich

Irsay...dude's gotta go.

So pissed off I'm throwing in laundry...packing the dishwasher...and might stay up for the Packer's-Bill's Game just to cleanse my palate.

 

And nothing makes me sleep like a rock better than watching Rodgers lose...lol!

We won...we won...we won...

Goodnight!

Virtual China: Shanghai Province

 

 

25 million people call Shanghai home.

Even the photos don't do it justice...and leave me more than a little claustrophobic.
 

It is considered the crown-jewel, both in tourism and trade, in China.

Annual tourist numbers now approach 318 million.

The first and only Province to embrace the Free Trade Zone...and it seems to be working well for them.

Shanghai means "On the Sea" and it is...with both the Yellow Sea and the Yellow River surrounding or running through its midst.

 It is hard to imagine that this bustling city was once only a sleepy fishing village.

The effect with all that neon against the water at night is beautiful. In fact, a large tourism offering is Shanghai at Night. Tours both on the water and the ground.

Shanghai at Night Tour

https://youtu.be/V2cicRGxYao

From the Water and Air

https://youtu.be/rW82piTZfUg

 Night Walk in Shanghai

https://youtu.be/kg3h15vc1TI

A combination of religions here...from Chinese Folk Religion to Buddhism...and a liberal sprinkling of Protestant and Catholics as well.

 Shanghai Buddhist Temple

https://youtu.be/vMVbLF9xSYQ

They have their own language. A form of Chinese known as Shanghainese...but English is widely understood and spoken as well.

Most off the cuisine is known as Benbang and centers around steamed and stirfried foods. A lot of dumpling or fish/seafood dishes.

Traditional Shanghai Cuisine

https://youtu.be/bM-TGKsvsh8

Condiments figure largely in their preparation.

The city boasts of 300 parks and green-spaces!

Parks

https://youtu.be/-p9uWTnwMkI

 

This is also the home of Shanghai Disney.

https://youtu.be/vCAd2V5crt4

 

I hope you have enjoyed today's mini-adventure!

 

 

 

Politics...Football...and an Update

 

Thirteen days left until the midterm election...

VOTE!!!

...and vote blue...

This year is crucial...women's rights...marriage and GLBT rights...Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid...and so much more...on the ballot.

And across the isle an array of crackpot candidates that make an intelligent person wonder how it could have gone so horribly horribly awry...

...Kari Lake...MTG...Dr. OZ...Walker...Dixon...I'm looking at all of you...

And armed citizens proclaiming themselves "Box Watchers" at election drop boxes.

...seriously...how could THAT possibly go wrong????

America has gone crazy.

It is all over for me but the counting.

 I posted mine.

All that is left is election night horror...which makes Halloween look mild in comparison. 

And speaking of horrific

The Colts.

"...the horror...the horror..."

Sunday's Game was unwatchable.  Left after the 1st quarter and took a nap. 

I have been screaming FIRE REICH for two years, now.

After seeing this season unfold I have added Matt Ryan.

I think we are stuck with Frank for a bit longer...but was happy to see Sam Erlinger bumped up to our starter.

Actually looking forward to Sunday's Washington game.

...face it...it couldn't be much worse...could it???

 And an update on John and the chemo and radiation.

By Friday he will be 1/3 of the way through with everything.

With the exception of dry mouth he is doing fine and handling it like a champ.

No itching or rash at the radiation site.

No debilitating fatigue.

...no glowing....lol...

No sickness from the chemo, and it hasn't affected his appetite.

Still exercising three times a week and going on his bike rides.

The longest last week at 21 miles round-trip!!!

...exhausted just hearing about it...

 Very positive for 2 weeks in, though...

 

My sister, Lisa, had her back surgery and is recovering in rehab.

She did well...and hopefully this will alleviate a lot of her back pain.

Tina and I are going to face-time her in to Sister's Day (Saturday) and hoping she will be with us in person in November.

Have a GREAT week!

Love,

Carla and the Sofi-Cat
 

 

Virtual China: Hubei Province

 

 

Pronounced hew-bay...the capitol city, Wuhan, was the epicenter of the 2019 Covid pandemic.

Hubei means North of The Lake.

The lake being Dongting Lake.

On December 1st, 2019 in Wuhan the first case of Covid was found. Now nearly 3 years later there are 631,054,366 cases and over 6.5 million deaths worldwide.

The population here is 59 million people.

Most people here speak Mandarin, and religions are Buddhism and Taoist.

One of the major tourist attractions here is the Old Jingzhou City

 
 https://youtu.be/FhIGRg2kKSA

Jingzhou Marketplace

Jingzhou Tour

 https://youtu.be/kmzINwWkz08

The cuisine here is called E Cuisine and is made up of fresh fruits, vegetables, lotus root, and fish.

 

 Until next time...

 

 

 

 

Fall Adventure...Food and Football...and a New Washer!

 

The big news around here today is

...I don't have to beat the laundry on stones down by the creek, anymore...

Okay, that is hyperbole, but the washer died last week and I have been literally washing everything in the sink since then...wringing it by hand...and then drying it.

...oh...the humanity!!!

Yeah...first world problems.

But yesterday they delivered, set up and took my old machine away...and it has a 2 year warranty...so I am pretty happy.

And washing everything.

The doctor has coordinated John's chemo and radiation, and it all starts next week.

We took Thursday to do a bit of leaf-peeping...enjoyed a tea-room brunch at Almost Home...and took a trip to the orchard for cheese curds, apples and apple butter.

It is small...family owned...and has the best apple butter...apples and cheese curds.

 Almost wiped out during the pandemic...they are doing well again and anticipating the fall festival crowd.
 

The guy has been sending me back Fall shots from his biking. The bike path is getting beautiful now...

 

And the Halloween Decorations in his neighborhood continue to  sprout.

Gearing up for tomorrow's Football and Food!

Sofi LOVES the balloon!!!

Hoping she doesn't deflate it before the games.

The Colts play at 1 and the Chief's at 4:25.

I'm simmering beans and ham & cornbread...but have snacks for the whole day!

So far the stats are

Colts 2-2-1

Chiefs 4-1

Speaking of food...I tried two new offerings this week. Both were outstanding!

First and the best:

Arby's BBQ Rib sandwich.

Definitely not your McRib pre-formed chopped patty...actual 1/2 inch sliced smoked rib meat with a really tasty sauce...cheese and french fired onions scattered over it.

Available for a very limited time.

Make sure you try this!

and Papa John's new offering The Bowl.

 Think all of the great toppings on a pizza...and you can choose from pre-made or create-your-own....without the crust.

I got an order of breadsticks to go with it, anyway.

Enough for 2 people...nice combination or sauce and ingredients. I created my own by mixing onions, peppers and mushrooms with sauce and extra cheese with spicy Italian sausage.

...and apparently 62 is the age when it is NOT a good idea to eat spicy sausage and peppers before going to bed...just saying...

But the heartburn was sooooo worth it and this is a welcome addition to the menu.

Try it yourself!

And some of the latest Fall Food Creations...falling into What The Hell Were They Thinking Category.

Black hot-dogs??? Seriously???

And the concrete lawn ornament people had to join in, of course...

Have a Great Weekend!

Love,

Carla and the Sofi-Cat

                                                     "I smell Sofi, Mom!"

                                                                                Gadget