On being a woman...

Men always say "boy am I glad I'm not a woman!" No kidding, right? We women really do go thru a lot when it comes to out bodies. Hormones, annual exams, labor, child birth, etc...the best of course it bringing life into this world. I know most if not all women who have experienced giving birth will say all the ouches of being a woman are worth that moment when you introduce a baby into the world. Being able to give life is what sets us a part from men...sure other things too but it's like our special gift. Ya know?

I found out yesterday I will be having surgery on October 8th. I am having one ovary and one rather large cyst inside of it removed. The doctor asked me "you weren't planning on having anymore children were you?" Gosh...I wasn't planning on having any more kids but I liked the idea of knowing if I wanted to I probably could. Half of my ability to give life will be gone. I will still have one ovary but it would be much more difficult I guess to conceive. I'm not sure how I feel about it, part of me is kind sad, but part of me is also creeped out knowing I have this growth in me that shouldn't be there.

I'm not the first to have an ovary removed, heck I could have both removed and be done with it. LOL. That's another procedure though. I will also be having an additional procedure done called "endometrial ablation" too much information? So here I am...two years living in Florida and on my way to having my third surgical procedure! Maybe Florida isn't good for me? Nah! I love Florida.

I won't be staying over night in the hospital this time, darn! I was looking forward to being hooked up to morphine all night. Michael and Gabby will be my nurses for a few days and then hopefully I will be back to normal or back to better than normal. While I was sitting here last night mentally preparing for this surgery I got to thinking...hey, afterwards I am gonna be lopsided! Women have an ovary on each side...does this mean I will walk with a lean now?

Thanks for all your concerns, emails and prayers. It will all work out and I know everything will be fine. It's just part of being a woman I guess. Oh...and if you ever have the chance to have an endometrial biopsy I highly recommend it! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Had to have that yesterday too, my second in my lifetime. Oh my gosh, I'd rather have my tongue tattooed! There is no way a man could go thru with that...going deep inside of you and SNIPPING tissue from your uterus (which is WAY up there) without anything to numb the pain is awful! I actually felt sick afterwards, not to mention the cramps and labor like pain most of the night. There must be a special reward in heaven for women!

8th Grade...

Gabby's first day of 8th grade! Where have the years gone?

Winner!!!!

We had a blast at the chili cook off! It was with friends but they really did it up "professional!" They had judges, each dish was numbered so nobody would know who made what and they gave out prizes!

There were ten of us who enter their chili and only three categories you could win under, "Most Original", "Hottest" and "Overall most liked." When I found out there was a most original category I thought I had a very good chance of winning since mine was the only "white" chili there.

I peeked thru the window when I saw the judges get to my chili. LOL! It was like being on "Iron Chef" I was so nervous. I tried to read their lips, I saw one say "hey this is pretty good." They all looked at it funny, I was certain none of them had ever seen white chili.

Obviously if this had been a real chili cook-off I wouldn't have taken the white chili cause it really isn't what serious chili lovers would consider chili. I think for a real contest it has to be in a red sauce and I have even heard in real chili cook-off you cannot add beans. But this was with friends so anything goes.

When it was time to announce the winners they called mine first!!!! "And the winner for the most original chili is.... ROBIN!" I had to go up in front of everyone (there were about 40 people there) and accept my prize, I won a 25 dollar gift card to....Chili's Restaurant!" How cool is that.

After the winners were announced we all sat around drinking beer, laughing, eating and having fun. It was a great night, Michael, Gabby and I giggled all the way home. I still can't believe we won and now I have a new memory with my old crock-pot!

Now for the recipe...

"Creamy White Chili"

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions: In a large saucepan, saute the chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Yield: 7 servings.

(I doubled this recipe for tonight as I knew there would be a lot of people to feed)

This Old...Crock Pot.

We have been invited to a friends house tonight. They are hosting a "chili cook-off" and Michael was quick to jump on entering me and my "White Chili Recipe." He has bragged for days now, confident we will at least take home one prize. Yes there will be prizes! :)

Now, I know my recipe is a winner, I didn't create it but I have seen it win contests before and everyone loves it. So I'm not worried about Chili...I am worried about my crock-pot. Don't get me wrong, it works just fine. It does what it is supposed to do but...it's old. And maybe not so much old as it is ugly. LOL.

When Michael and I got married (15 years ago) we received THREE crock-pots as wedding gifts. I think that is a popular gift. We of course kept one and returned the others and at the time I was very much into country decor. My colors (cringe) were country blue and mauve. Man did I rock country blue and mauve. It was so popular then every time I turned around I found a new nick knack or dish towel with ducks or flowers that were country blue and or mauve. Nobody had a more country house than me. lol

So the crock pot...it's country blue and has mauve flowers. Well, most of the flowers are scratched off now, in fact there are a lot of scratches and stains from recipes bubbling over. I clean it and clean it but nothing is going to make it look pretty again. When I am in a store that has an appliance row I go down and look at the pretty new crock pots. Shiny stainless steel and black. Red, Orange, Green...all new updated styles and designs. I touch them, turn their knobs and look at prices but alas....I walk away from them each time. Why? Cause mine still works! How can I justify getting a new one when the one I have isn't broken? It would just be wrong.

Two days ago I went and looked at crock pots again. I even looked at casserole type deep dish that sits on a rack and you light a candle under it to keep the food warm. I thought...HEY I could use that and put my chili in it to take to the party. Won't I look cool with my special pretty, new dish. But again...I walked away. Not really the time to be buying that kind of stuff with school clothes needing to be purchased and what not.

So...today while I was making my chili and looking at my equally worn cookbook it dawned on me. This old crock pot has fed my family. Brought smiles to their faces, nourished their bodies and brought us together around the kitchen table. It's been to parties, baby showers and funerals... I have put new recipes in it and old family recipes that have been passed down and passed down again.

This old crock pot was there when I first got married and could barely cook. There to prepare the meal while I rushed out the door to work in the morning. There again when I got home and walked thru the door to it's wonderful smells. This old crock pot is a keeper and even though it may be the unsightliest one on the table tonight I can smile knowing that it is mine and holds a lot of special memories and even some secret recipes! Silly?

Is there a doctor in the house?

Why yes, actually there is! Remember when you were a kid and you played house, doctor, cowboys and Indians? Those were good times...imaginations running wild, you could be anything you wanted to be.

Well, today Gabby was the doctor...an eye doctor, an ear doctor and even threw in some bio feedback work. LOL!

I was laying down trying to take a nap when she came in and insisted I put her ear buds in...what? Just do it Mom! I put the ear buds in and she tells me when I hear a sound to click the button on her itouch. What button? That button Mom! Where? MOM THE BIG HUGE BUTTON THAT SAYS TOUCH HERE! Hmmmm that's when I heard her mumble something about an eye test next. LOL!

I played along for about 10 minutes while it beeped and buzzed at all different pitches in each ear. Come to find out when it was done...I have mild to moderate hearing loss. I believe it... Next the eye test...yep I need glasses! And then finally I complained my head hurt from all this testing so she put the buds back in my ears and told me not to take them out until it was over.

The next thing that happened was some weird humming beat like noises in each ear. It got loud and soft...I swear I think she was hypnotising me! Some kind of osmosis on my brain! LOL! She came in and checked on me 10 minutes later, took out the buds and asked if my headache was better. It was sorta...and then she told me "That will be 50 bucks for your wellness check!" HA HA HA HA HA HA! Guess the osmosis didn't work!

Boy I tell ya, the kind of things you can do with these iphones and itouch thingys is cool! Gotta go I think I heard the phone ring, or maybe it was the doorbell...

We cheated!!!!

We were supposed to wait at least 7 days even better 10-12 days at the directions said but today one jar of pickles was screaming at us! TASTE ME! So....we did! I gotta say I was pleased! They are goooooooood! Gabby thinks they are great and Michael has yet to try one...he says he is waiting the full time. LOL! I believe I will taste another one, right now!

He brings me flowers...

I got back some test results today from the doctor and some things showed up we weren't expecting. Kinda put a scare into me, Michael, my friends and family...Michael was scheduled to fly today so I couldn't discuss in length what the tests showed as he was getting ready for take off. He was so worried he stopped and got me flowers on the way home. He is so sweet...

Any way...I won't know much more until I see the specialist but they found some cysts on my ovaries and one in particular is very large, large enough they need to investigate and see if we need to remove it or what. Had more blood work today...looking for traces of the "C" word and other than that I just sit and wait for referrals to go thru.

I have been instructed to get to an ER if things change (I wont go into details) and if it gets to be more painful. I love being a woman! LOL