[Sca-cooks] My Holidays

[Johnna Holloway]

Holiday was mixed at best for us. I was already sick with bronchitis
with a nagging cough before we left. We left on the 19th but hit
bad weather south of Cleveland. We tried to detour south but hit more snow.
 So we got a motel room and drove in on Monday. The 14 year old was 
complaining
that he hadn't slept by this time. He was hot, he was running a 103 
degree fever with a chill.
  Then the husband got sick. They get better, but I decide to keep our 
germs to ourselves, so
I don't make arrangements to meet either Olwen or Kiri over the holidays.
 I get somewhat better. So on Thursday night we venture out to go shopping.
Borders is calling-- really it was... that's when we discover that the 
fan motor has quit.
Christmas eve morning finds my husband over at the Ford dealer when they 
open, begging them
to fix the car. They do and it's even covered by the warranty.
I did Christmas lunch of steaks, potatoes, rolls, etc. Nothing special 
but the steaks were a hit.
On Christmas night my mother in law fell in the bathroom. We managed to get
her up, but felt that she needed to go to the hospital.
So we had to call the rescue squad to come take her to the
hospital  because we couldn't figure out a way to get her out of
the house safely.  Nothing like an ambulance ride
through DC traffic on the holiday to make things cheery and bright.
They admitted her and she's still in the hospital. They are doing wound 
care, she has a fever,
and she's anemic to go along with her diabetes and high blood pressure.
I'll have to go back out this spring and help as it is Time to sell the 
house and make
her go live where she has help.
This was already in the works; we are only moving the timetable up a bit.
We went ahead and returned home so we could get ready for school next 
week and 12th
Night on the 8th. It will take me some time to catch up on the digests. 
I am reading them backwards.
Giftwise=
I did buy the Marshmallow Fluff Cookbook (one of those silly things 
calling at Borders) and an
English cookbook by the Duchess of Devonshire who admits that she hasn't 
cooked personally since
before the War. Very British, very upper crust. Also a paperback of 
Chinese food in the West which
looked interesting.

Johnnae