On Saturday, Ben got up before we did and made coffee. When I ambled downstairs, he heard me on the stairs and poured me a cup of coffee. Handing it to me, he said, “Here’s coffee. I’m not foolin’ around.” I surveyed the kitchen and realized that he had all ingredients for “special breakfast” out…
Onion Cake (and other improbable things)
This week, we were inspired by Ben’s Aunt Mary to try her recipe for zwiebelkuchen, a German dish which translates as onion cake, but is more like a cross between a savory tart, pizza, and quiche. So, while “onion cake” may sound like the last thing on earth you would want to try, we assure…
Shoot from the Hip
Let’s start with this: Ben is doing well. Hip shmip. Urological concerns meant he spent a week at home with a catheter, but now he is foot-loose and fancy-free. We even got to finally (fourth time’s a charm) visit my parents in Virginia, a trip that had been put off three times. We are striving…
Until Then, Keep on Traveling (Or not!)
This story has its start 30 years ago, when Phil and I went to his sister’s wedding in Amsterdam, and followed it by accompanying Mary and Rachid on a trip to Morocco, where Rachid grew up. Between Holland and Morocco, we traveled through Brussels, Belgium with them plus their friends who also made the trip…
Hip, Hip, Hooray! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ben is recovering beautifully from his hip replacement and we are all tickled pink that he is home now, growing stronger every day. Frankly, the only thing holding him back is his killjoy parents who continue trying to keep him from overdoing it! He spends his days with his companions, is doing the exercises recommended…
#Hipster
Thank you all so much for the love, support, prayers, and offers to help! This has been a really tough week, and most of the time, we couldn’t even take you up on your kind offers to help because Ben just needed us with him, providing comfort and overseeing his care. We do deeply appreciate,…
The Hip Bone’s Connected to the Heart String
As many of our readers already know, Ben had a seizure on Friday with spasms so intense that his right hip dislocated and the ball of the hip joint was broken off. He had hip problems as a toddler, but had never had a seizure before. A lengthy, complicated surgery on Sunday gave him a…
And Do Ya Want Pasta? Why Not!
Sausage is our go-to meat around here for jazzing up pizza, soups and pasta dishes, so when Wegmans stopped carrying Bob Evans Original Recipe, it amounted to a family crisis. We stocked up at Giant, but when that freezer stash ran out, we were unable to find more at Giant. If you are going to…
Not-Cho Average Friday Night!
For the third time we had to cancel our trip to Virginia this weekend to visit Ben’s grandparents. Dicey weather and a pesky cold that has wiped me out meant that we had to sit this Friday out. Ben felt that nachos and family movie night were an appropriate salve to the canceled-plan wound. I…
Snow Day!
Wherein Ben eats all the things.