I think it would be in my best interest to stand up for the next week or so. Mainly for comfort if for no other reason.
If you have watched all or parts of 17 bowl games since last Wednesday, like I have, I?ll bet your sitter is worn out, too.
Most of the games were very competitive and fun to watch?except for Cincinnati getting run off of the field by Florida. Didn?t help that Cincy?s coach had already left and the interim was leaving for another job, too.
I noticed that a number of the stadiums had many empty seats, which is probably a sign of the economy and possibly travel delays like we had on our holiday trip.
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If you read Andrew Ottoson?s Dec. 23 column, you know he decided it was time for him to move on. Not that he was unhappy here, but he still wants to see what is out in the world while he is still young. A good plan, I say.
He was a chemistry major at Tabor College with a love of sports, so it worked. We appreciate his efforts on our behalf, and I will always remember his keen sense of humor and interesting metaphors for about anything.
Andrew says he?s headed for Vancouver and the Winter Olympics. You might even see him on television as a spectator. I?m betting the best bet would be at a hockey match.
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I decided a couple of weeks ago that I was going to make New Year?s cookies on New Year?s day. My plan was delayed until Sunday afternoon because the bowl games got in the way, as mentioned above.
The real name for these raisin fritters is Portzilke, which means ?tumbling over,? according to the ?Off the Mountain Lake Range? cookbook. Apparently they turn over by themselves while cooking in the deep fat (oil). Mine didn?t do that because I think they had too many appendages.
I?m sure that with practice I could get better at mixing these little fritters, but I had a few challenges along the way.
Nancy told me I should make a half batch or we?d have too many, so that?s what I did. She was gone while I was making them, which was a good thing, and I only called her one time. The half thing wasn?t so easy. How do you add 11?2 eggs?
The recipe called for the dough to rise until double in bulk. Well, I waited and waited and nothing happened. I remembered it takes heat to make yeast work so I placed the bowl of dough on the satellite receiver, which is always warm. That did the trick.
Our deep-fryer hadn?t been used for at least five years; it still had sawdust on it from when I enlarged the refrigerator opening to make our new fridge fit years ago.
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This week it will be a year since my mom passed away. It seems like a long time ago. Many times I can see her face or hear her voice, and am reminded of the many blessings she brought to my life and to others.
I miss her but accept her death more in celebration and joy that she is in a better place now. She struggled so much in her last years to do all of the things she always did in the past, but the weight of time prevailed in the end.
While she could still communicate, she told me that in other cultures the old and weak would go out into the woods and never come back. Then she was quick to add that if she tried it she would get too cold and would have to come back home.
