First, You Make a Roux...

The seasons are a'changin' here at Casa 3917. And what better way to welcome Fall than a big pot of Gumbo! And we've been enjoying the perfect days for it, too...daytime temps in the 70's, nightimes dropping into the 50's. I love September, don't you?

Of course, it gets a little confusing around this time of the year. Take this week for instance: we have enjoyed seeing both the Greensboro Grasshoppers in their Minor League Baseball Championship Series, as well as the Duke Blue Devils win their home football game opener. Can basketball be far behind?

Oh well...where were we? Ah, yes...Gumbo!

Now, the classic Nawlins recipe for Gumbo typically begins with "first, you make a roux..." However, for me...since our days living in Louisiana...Gumbo has always started with our favorite Pepper Shrimp recipe a couple, t'ree days before. (Not a typo. Most folks from Sout' Louisiana lost their H's long ago...:~\). And it also helps if you have some leftover chicken and ham in the fridge. Bam! As Emeril would say.

And, before you can make your roux, you have to gather together your veggies to go in your Gumbo with your meats and seafood selections. And in our case, "gather" is a literal term. So, out to the garden for some okra (also called "gumbo," which is where this savory stew got its name), tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Bam, bam!

Alas, one sad thing about September is that the Summer garden is winding down. Fewer tomatoes...fewer peppers...less okra. Sigh. I'm excited that my cotton bolls are beginning to pop open...but you can't eat cotton. At least, I don't think you can.

Back to the kitchen...

Then you get out the two heaviest pots you own...one to make the roux; one to get the veggies going and eventually to host the simmering stew.

Here we go!

After you get the party started in the pots, you will have to watch the roux closely...and stir it constantly. You want it to brown slowly, but never to scorch.

And once you get it all together for the simmering phase, you can take a little break before you prepare the rice. For me, that means a pleasant stroll through the Rose Garden...where all of the David Austin roses are reblooming. Every single bush!

Here's a beautiful bloom on one of the Gertrude Jekyll's next to to patio in the Rose Garden. I so wish you could smell it!

Did I mention how much I love September?

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Here you go...my recipe for Gumbo. It's a combination of about 3 or 4 Louisiana recipes to get the flavors just the way we like...adding okra, and leaving out oysters and andouille sausage. See what you think!

Gumbo

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or bacon grease...or a combination)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; cooked
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (as in leftover rotisserie chicken) - opt.
1 cup cooked smoked ham, diced (can use thick-sliced deli) - opt.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or bacon grease...or a combination)
1-2 cups okra, cut crosswise
1 onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 can diced tomatoes, liquid included
1 can tomato sauce
2 T. tomato paste
1 quart water, stock, or some combination - heated
1 cayenne pepper pod, whole
2-4 T. Parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt (or seasoned salt), to taste - depending on whether stock was used, etc.
ground black pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Cooked rice

Directions:

1. Add 2 tablespoons each oil and flour to a heavy skillet over low heat, and whisk together quickly. Continue cooking and stirring until a dark roux forms. This can take 30-45 minutes...the lower the heat, the longer it takes, and the better it tastes! Watch carefully.
2. Meanwhile, in a heavy Dutch oven-type pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Stir in okra and cook until okra is tender; add bell pepper, celery, and onion, and cook until transparent; then add garlic, stirring constantly to keep the garlic from burning.
3. When roux is ready, add the HEATED liquid (water, stock, or some combination), as cold liquid will cause the roux to curdle. Continue to stir until liquid begins to thicken. Add this to the pot with the cooked vegetables.
4. Mix in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Add salt, pepper, fresh parsley, and the cayenne pepper pod. Stir in cooked chicken and/or ham if desired. Cover, and cook slowly for 60 minutes.
5. Stir in cooked shrimp. Cook and stir for a few minutes, with the lid off. Adjust seasonings. If too thick, add a little tomato juice or stock (chicken or fish).
6. Serve in large bowls over a mound of hot, cooked rice, along with cornbread muffins. Enjoy!

That Was Fun!

Yesterday was Mr. T's birthday, and (miraculously) he was in town (read that: "not on the road again"). Hooray! Of course, that had more to do with the Labor Day Holiday on Monday making for a short work-week and other folks not being available because of that than with it being his birthday...but, hey, it was a gift, nonetheless.

We were thrilled when Missy M called last week to say she was coming for a visit over the weekend. I don't mind admitting I have missed my "roomie" for most of the past three months...and my two four-legged grand-dogs. So their visit was a real treat...and timely, when you consider she would be here to help celebrate her Dad's birthday, if just a wee bit early.

When I asked on Saturday what flavor of cake he'd like, I was happy to hear "chocolate with white icing," which is my fav, too. Yum! Here's a photo of the end result, which we fired up (the candles were actually sparkler-versions!) over the weekend, after grilling a couple of racks of ribs.

Also, we headed to Durham for our first football game of the season, enjoying a WIN by Duke over Florida International. We had our pre-game tailgate picnic, and we saw fireworks at halftime! That was a real treat, since most Duke football games are day-games...and rarely dark enough for fireworks. Remarkably, I was able to get a couple of decent shots of the fireworks...before the smoke became the main attraction. (There was NO wind to blow it away...:~\). Here's one of them:

Sounds like a return to normal activity, right? Well, almost. All the walking we did on campus was quite a challenge for Missy M's recently-healed foot. And, since I am still searching for my "normal" store of energy, the activities had pretty much depleted my reserves by the 4th quarter. So when M "hinted" that it was time to go with over 10 minutes left on the clock, she got no argument from me...AKA she-who-never-leaves-a-game-before-it-is-over.

Then, on the REAL day (Wednesday), Mr. T and I tried out a new restaurant in Winston-Salem called Milner's American Southern Cuisine and Cocktails. Well, new to us, that is. Enjoyed great food (he had the mahi-mahi on shrimp creole and Carolina rice, and I got the crab cakes with collards...after an appetizer of fried okra with remoulade sauce!) and a great time together. I could get used to this dining out together mid-week!

Speaking of which (being together throughout the week), this birthday puts Mr. T officially in the Retirement Red Zone. And, barring unforeseen circumstances, we will continue with our plan of business as usual. For how long? Subject to change, of course. The current plan is for 6 more years, which will give him 20 years with Mitsubishi Fuso...and me Medicare coverage. Who knew we would be making retirement decisions based on how costly health care is?

We aren't the only ones working the Retirement Plan. Bro J and SIL J will sooner-than-later be "neighbors," as they are exchanging their 'Ville: goodbye Nash-...hello Ashe-! They aren't ready to make the transition yet...but they are getting there...or, rather here! The refurbing is underway at their new-to-them mountain retreat, which will eventually be their retirement Shangri-La. Glad they could sort out their work schedule for a visit to NC this week.

So, slowly but surely, life as I knew it is returning. I still have an issue with my Bell's Palsy, but I am seeing a Speech Therapist for help...have my second appointment this afternoon, as a matter of fact. She gave me several new exercises to do, and today I start with an electrical stimulation to that facial nerve with a zapper called VitalStim. Woo hoo! Doesn't that sound like fun?!

Remember...eye on the prize. Slowly but surely...

Bell's Palsy Update - Week 11 Begins

Week 11. Really? Really.

Yes, I'm still dealing with Bell's Palsy. I have come a long way since that scary Sunday in late June, 72 days ago...but I still have a few miles to go to reach full recovery. Sigh.

The good news? If you were to glance at my face, you probably wouldn't notice anything wrong. The paralysis that has contorted the left side of my face has released enough of the hold on my mouth and eyebrow that...until I try to smile normally...or speak...you wouldn't notice anything not-normal. Until I try to smile...or speak.

But wait.

As you recall, I had three benchmarks I was aiming for: whistle, wink, and full-toothed smile. As of this morning's facial exercises, I can check-off 2 out of the 3. Full marks on the wink...partial credit for the whistle, as it still needs work...still working on the smile.

It's my mouth where the paralysis continues to reside. Feels like an old-fashioned clothespin clipped to my top and bottom lip, just to the left of center...making a normal smile a dream and normal speech still difficult. Difficult, but no longer as garbled.

Toward that end, at my visit last week, Dr. K (my Primary Care doc) recommended that I see a Speech Therapist for evaluation and recommendation of specific exercises for specific facial muscles. And that happens this afternoon. Should be interesting.

BTW, Dr. K also said his "personal record" for a recovering Bell's patient was one year. He thinks, with the help of a Speech Therapist, I should be "back to normal" between the three- and six-month mark. Since I'm only a week or two from that 3-month date, I can live with that. Whoa! Did you think you'd ever hear those words from me?!

Looking back over the last 73 days, I never thought I would still be dealing with this for so long. I just couldn't wrap my mind around a three-month recovery period. Even though I was the one who knew someone who had been on disability for...remember? Three months.

You would think I would have taken the hint.

Ok. Time for the Documentation Photo, Day 72. Hard to tell much difference since the last one (except for the shirt color and the hair cut...:~\), but there really is. The photos that show the most improvement are the ones I haven't been brave enough to post... the ones with the full-toothed smile...maybe one day.

Maybe...
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Day #72 with Bell's Palsy...off to see the Speech Therapist...

It Is Good to Garden

I know, I know. I said I'd post an update about my Bell's Palsy this week. Give me another day on that since I have an appointment with Dr. K tomorrow. I don't have a lot to report...and what there is to report isn't very exciting, but at least I'll have the official version if we give it 24 more hours.

Meanwhile...

Thought you'd like to see a picture of the fruits of our labors. Granted, most all of the labor took place 3 months ago...and the "fruits" are the results of mostly benign neglect in our protracted absence, but it's still amazing that anything survived, don't you think?

Anyway...

We spent time in the Way Back this weekend, both at work and at play. Coffee and bagels in The Rose Garden was such a treat...and could have kept us completely satisfied, except we knew the At Play time was over and the At Work time upon us.

Mr. T tilled up the Cool Season garden area, along with the corn patch, in the heat on Saturday, while I tended the big pot of Shrimp Gumbo, made from the Harvest of okra, tomatoes, peppers, and onions...in the relative cool of the kitchen. And, this morning, I planted 4 kinds of lettuces (Black-seeded Simpson, Red Sails, Bibb, and Green Ice), leaf spinach, beets, and carrots. I would have done collards and turnip greens, but I ran out of energy about the same time I discovered I didn't have any seeds for the Seven Top Turnips (which are only grown for the greens). I'll head to the garden center tomorrow after I see Dr. K, as I need to get onions, too. I hope I can still find some cabbage and broccoli transplants, too...although I've missed the plant-by dates for Fall for them, I'm afraid.

So what's the rush, you ask? We are trying to play catch up with our chores...and get ahead of any rain we may receive, courtesy of Hurricane Isaac's churnings in the Gulf.

And, I am trying to find my way back to Normal. I talked with Bro. J on Saturday, from my perch in the swing, watching Mr. T wrangle the tiller (thank goodness for cell phones!), and he was wondering if I had managed to do much gardening since returning home. And, Bro. T (who just celebrated a birthday last weekend) called to check in...and ask basically the same question. They both know me too well!

Getting back in the garden is a good thing for me...and my soul. Even if I haven't made it back to Normal yet, I have made it back into our little Paradise. And that is so very good!

Honey, We're Home!

After 96 days, 22 hours, and 13 minutes, Elmo, Duche$$, and I are finally back in HPNC. Altogether now: hooray!

The Welcome Home was all I could have hoped for. Mr. T had made a sign and snipped several rose blooms. We took our Coffee Walk into the Way Back Monday morn, and when I went into the Kitchen Garden, I had to get me a ripe tomato for my first BLT of 2012! Yum!! I've waited nearly 3 months to be able to take that picture!

The trip here was every bit as much fun as you can imagine. I was so nauseated at the beginning that I almost asked Mr. T to turn the car around and return to Missy M's house. We made it to the first rest stop...then to the WV state line...down the Turnpike to VA...through the three rain storms back-to-back-to-back...and when we crossed the NC state line, I knew I could make it. Until I saw that sign for Winston-Salem though, I still had my doubts. Mr. T is a fantastic driver, and the dogs were troopers.

It has taken me a couple of days to recover, but I wanted to write a short post before the week aged much more. I'm taking it easy, making the transition back to my life with deliberation. I already miss Missy M and her pups, but it was time.

The simple things are the things I've missed the most about my NC life. Coffee Walks in the Way Back with Mr. T (although we have used FaceTime to make up for this). My own bed. Our gardens. Our automatic ice maker.

I discovered that I've forgotten how to use my electric stove...since Missy M cooks with gas. Momma used to tell on herself: when she got her first electric stove, she said she burned everything she cooked for weeks. Totally understand. You can probably tell that bacon in the photo is extra-crispy!

I've also forgotten where the right switch is for the light I want. Granted, the electrician who wired this house was a real jokester...light switches in odd places, etc. But I stood in the bathroom Sunday night, poised to enter our closet, and switched on three lights before I got the correct one. Grrrr.

I have also discovered how much I miss Gus. It really is a different place without him. Ah well...

So we are home...getting accustomed to it again. And trying to get back into our routine again. That may sound dull and boring to some.

To me, it sounds heavenly.

(BTW, I'll post a Bell's Palsy Update next week, and then every two weeks for the duration. No real changes to report...and I'm getting tired of saying the same thing in every post. Ho hum.)

Bell's Palsy Update - Week 8 Begins

The good news is that I haven't stalled: there is evidence of teeny, tiny mini-steps of progress as the Bell's Palsy slowly, slowly recedes. Bad news? Well, I'm sounding like a broken record here. Yawn.

It's more fun to give you the crop report from HPNC: the cotton bolls are filling out, the peppers are plumping up...and the roses are reblooming! Check out the photos from Mr. T below.

BTW, that's a "Friendship" rose bloom in the picture; it's one of the AARS winners from 1979, and this is its first year in our garden. We purchased three Friendship bushes from Roses Unlimited, along with three Sutter's Gold (AARS winner for 1950) and three Chrysler Imperial (AARS winner for 1953). You can probably figure out where we're going with this combination...:-)

OK, back to the boring Bell's Palsy update...

But wait! I'm not the only one recovering here on Franelm. Missy M went for her check up with her foot doctor on Thursday, and she got a good report. The X-ray shows evidence of proper healing, and no evidence of any cause for concern. Hooray!!

She has been faithfully wearing her walking boot for the past three weeks (after spending over 9 weeks in a cast), removing it only to sleep, bathe, and drive. She's battled some swelling and some pain, but with ice packs and pain meds both of those have diminished a bit as the days went by. The doctor says that is normal...to be expected.

So now she gets to make the transition from walking boot to...well, walking normally. Gradually, said the doctor. Right. She admitted this morning that maybe she overdid it a bit this weekend, and she wore the boot to work...especially for the walk from her parking spot to the building. Still, you have to hand it to her: she did a great job of putting her weight on that foot for the first time in 12 weeks...and walking around the house. Woo hoo!

See that was so much better than hearing, yet again, that the facial paralysis is lessening, my speech is getting better (so I'm told), and my eye-tearing is almost a non-issue. Yadda, yadda, yadda. I still cannot smile, whistle, or wink...which are the three milestones I hope to reach. Sooner rather than later, I hope.

Yeah, yeah. No lectures on "focusing on how far you have come, rather than how far you have to go." I know, I know. Honestly? I'm just tired of BP. Way past tired. And when I get tired, my positive attitude goes down the pipes.

So here is Day 50's documentation photo. (Pink shirt again, BS, even though it clashes drastically with my California Coral nail polish...:~\) A little more upturn in my left lip, in response to my brain-command to "smile!" A little less droop of my left eyelid.

As I said before...teeny, tiny improvements. The Optimist Within (that I couldn't silence with all my earlier negative thoughts...no matter what...:~\) says "any progress is better than no progress."

Bell's Palsy Update - Week 7 Begins

Before we get to my Bell's report, I wanted to share my exciting (!) Cotton crop report from Guilford County. Seriously, I planted 10-12 heirloom seeds from a variety called Nanking Green that I got at the Seed Exchange at Old Salem back in January. And, now I have 10 beautiful plants growing and thriving at the end of the bean fence in the Kitchen Garden (photo below)! Can you see the pink-edged flowers (top of plant) and the green bolls(center)? Even though picking cotton by hand is one of the hardest jobs on this Earth (yes, I did it once...and only once!), I can hardly wait until I get to pick my own little stand. No, I won't harvest enough to spin, but I'll have enough to share next January...and to plant more next year.

Green cotton, you ask? Yep. And you thought all cotton was white, didn't you? Well, I sure did until I did a bit of research.

Turns out that naturally colored cotton was grown at one time, although it was not found to be as marketable as white cotton fibres. According to the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange:

"Naturally colored cottons were grown by the slaves prior to the Civil War. In many instances, slaves on plantations were not permitted to grow the white cotton of their masters. Brown cotton was the most commonly grown, but there are other naturally colored cottons such as green, blue, yellow, and pink cottons, and they all have their own subtle beauty. These heirloom cottons are now difficult to find. They have fallen out of favor because the fibers are shorter and not as suitable for spinning and dyeing as modern white cotton."
From Southern Exposure Seed Exchange's website

I wish I could report big, exciting discoveries in my recovery process. No such luck. Same old, same old. Tortoise-like progress as Bell's Palsy slowly recedes from my body.

And, as I told Bro T and Bro J last week, I relate what is happening to the tide receding...going out...away from the beach. Yeah, yeah...me and my focus on The Beach. But with each day, a little of the misery that is BP seems to recede...go out...leave me. And, while that may not be Big News, it is nonetheless Positive News.

Missy M summed up my last week's progress yesterday when she said "you can see you are getting better; you can hear it, because your speech is better." She also said "you can tell when you are tired because you start slurring your words." A little good, a little not-so-good. Still some way to go to complete recovery. Ah well.

I didn't take my weekly documentation photos yesterday, because I thought any progress they might have shown would be overshadowed by the dark circles under my swollen eyes and the red tinge to my nose. I hadn't slept well the night before, and I had done my share of shedding sad tears in the morning. You see, yesterday marked a year since Nana/Momma/Edith passed away. Without a doubt, we still miss her so much.

And as any regular reader of my posts will know, it was a tough 6 months prior to 8/5/11, and it has been a rough 12 months since then. One can only hope it will begin to be a kinder, gentler chapter from this day forward.

Sigh.

You may not be able to see much change in my mouth (less paralysis, more of a smile on the left side) in this photo (below). And I think there is possibly more left-eyebrow droop...but I "credit" that to residual "puffiness" from yesterday's tears rather than a reversal in the previous week's progress.

What you will probably see right away is that I wore a different color shirt for this photo. Sweet friend BS commented earlier about my wearing some pink lipstick (which I have rarely, if ever, worn in my life...:~\)...so, instead of sticking with the same old aqua shirt I've worn in all the photos for consistency's sake, I switched to a pink one that I borrowed from Missy M for this set.

So, now I have entered the decisive part of the recovery period: weeks six through eight. Whatever happens now, is probably what I will be living with...my "new normal," as friend LB says. My NC Nurse Practitioner calls this the most telling of the recovery period. While she said it can take up to a year to completely recover, it's the two weeks I am living now that can be the most important.

Fingers crossed. Toes, too!

Bell's Palsy Documentation Photo - Day 44