This is Summer?

Summer in Oregon has definitely been a dud so far this year.

Today is rainy, again. We should really be used to all this wetness by now.

As I was making dinner, my guys complained of being cold.

“They” say it will be nice for the Fourth, but their track record hasn’t been all that great. The fireworks could fizzle instead of pop. And given that Oregon has outlawed anything that could fly above a foot, the kiddos could be in for some disappointment. (We still hear the illegal ones going off all around us, though.)

Our grandson doesn’t want to accept that we don’t waste money on fireworks. Some things are just hard to accept, I guess. Grandpa usually is a pushover for everything his favorite grandson wants. Maybe the neighbors will put on a great show for him.

This is posting number 100. I had hoped to come up with a scathingly brilliant idea for this post, but much like our weather, my brain feels rather blah lately.

I’ve been rather busy with my one-armed bandit club, but they are both healing well, and I am pleased with their progress.

With this weather and with two of my guys being unable to do much, we have been playing more cards lately. Though I cannot seem to win, I still enjoy the game and the friendly banter.

And as for a spectacular posting, well, maybe I can come up with something by number 150!

My Guys, Gotta Love ‘em

My son had his surgery last Thursday. It was a long and tedious day, which, of course, he slept through. When my best friend came to pick Trevor and I up, she noticed that his bed was a “Big Wheel.” Little boys just cannot get away from their toys, even when they grow up.

I wasn’t as lucky to get to sleep through all the stress and worry of why his surgery was taking twice as long as scheduled (so much extra damage) or why his surgeon didn’t immediately come talk to me after the surgery was over. Trevor was in recovery almost an hour before his surgeon finally came to speak to me because he had been immediately called away to the emergency department to consult on another patient. I understood once it was explained to me, but it did nothing to relieve my overwhelming anxiety beforehand.

Trevor is now home and faring well. He has a high pain threshold, which he probably gets from me. If my hubby is any indication how most men handle pain, then Trevor is a rare bird, indeed. Ken doesn’t do well at all with pain, but I can’t fault him for that. We all have different set points and tolerances. I don’t like pain, either, but I have learned to deal with it.

The pain I most abhor is migraine pain. And yesterday was a migraine day.

But my guys came through for me in spades.

Trevor’s best friend, William, whom I also count among “my guys,” has been here since the day after Trevor’s surgery. He has been a huge help, stepping in where Trevor cannot right now by helping me mop the floors after the plumber was here. (We had our plumbing back up—again.) And he has also helped out with dishes and laundry and garbage. What a guy! He’s also great at providing comic relief, in trying to get me to laugh despite my migraine.

Despite his back and hip being messed up lately (plus still recovering from shoulder surgery, himself), Ken has been doing his best to help out as well. In fact, for last night’s dinner, he pulled homemade paella out of thin air! It was amazing, much better than my homemade soup the day before, though my guys are so good they wouldn’t admit my soup wasn’t that great even if threatened with torture.

The best thing my guys did for me, however, was to play cards all afternoon and evening, with the television off, so that I could rest. Silence in the house makes for such a nicer me the day after a bad migraine. I just love my guys, all three.

And a special thank you to my best friend, who has unwittingly become my hospital chauffer lately. I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you!

Too Many Bananas

What do you do when you find that your surplus of bananas have ripened faster than you could eat them?

Why, make banana milkshake pops, of course!

We have been so busy around here lately, running from here to there for all of Ken’s therapy appointments, plus all the other appointments, that sometimes things, like bananas, get overlooked. When that happens, I am forced to make a decision—toss them, freeze them for later, or make something now.

Well, part of the reason we have been so busy is that our grandson will be here in one week and I want everything to be ready for his arrival. Once he gets here, we have many fun things planned, including a trip to Neskowin.

Needless to say, I am very excited.

So I decided to make the banana milkshake pops for when he gets here. And here is the recipe:

Banana Milkshake Pops

• Six overripe bananas
• One 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
• Four cups low-fat milk
• One-half to one cup Splenda granulated, or to taste
• One teaspoon vanilla extract

Mash the bananas well. Beat in the other ingredients. Pour into 5-ounce Dixie cups, which are in a cake pan to keep them upright in the freezer. Place a plastic spoon in each cup and then place the whole pan in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, cover each individual cup. Alternatively, you can cover the tray with foil or plastic wrap and then carefully insert popsicle sticks, but I happen to like the plastic spoons instead—less chance of spilling as I try to insert sticks. Freeze overnight and enjoy.

They taste just like a banana milkshake, and since they are only 5 ounces and health-consciously made, they won’t spoil my diet, like an entire milkshake would.