Happy New Year!

December 30, 2011
I do not make a very big deal out of New Year celebrating. We will have an extra nice dinner, but not a feast after all of the rich, fatty foods of the season and the energy expended to make it all. New Years is a kind of winding down holiday for me. The children had their Santa visit and after days of preparing for it and some cleaning up after, I keep things simple and low key after all someone has to pack up all those Christmas decorations and nag someone to put them in storage but that will not be on New Years day. This day is for being a "couch tater", for thanking the "powers that be" for surviving another year and holiday season and best of all it is a day when banks and most businesses are closed so no money spending.

New Years resolutions are also on my "not doing it" list, mostly because I can resolve to do something anytime I want to and I don't need a special holiday for that. Just for chucks, I will share some of what is always on my list. First is always to maintain and improve my relationship with my family. Second of importance is to learn. There is never a shortage of things to learn, it boggles the mind to concider it from learning from my mistakes to just about anything you can think of. Last but certainly not least, (and probably the hardest for me) is taking chances. By this I mean trying out new things that come your way, even if you never concidered going in that direction before. I will be doing just that because the Parent Leadership Accademy has opened some doors. First will be attending the Family Advisory Council of Tuolumne County meetings, I have been to two of them and so far think that I might have a place there, FATC meetings are open to the public, if you want to go to one, email me at pickychop@frontier.com and I will let you know when and where the next meeting will be. The other I'll mention at a later date after I've actually been to a meeting or two, I'll just say that it could have benefit to the community.

On that note, I am going to call this entry, good and go make myself a nice hot cup-o-tea. Happy New Year to all!

Whats for dinner? Deviled ham sandwiches, cottage cheese and vedgie soup... Oh so many things to do with left-over ham.

 

Taking Care of Yourself First

December 11, 2011
I had to leave this blog alone for a bit because I found myself being spread a bit thin. I forgot for a time that the rule is. Take care of yourself first so that you have the strength to take care of others.

When you have a family that you love and you want to make every Christmas a special memory, it is easy to forget your own needs. You don't even have to be mobility impaired to be affected by the "Holiday Exhaustion." Impaired people just get a little more worn out, faster. It is important...
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Pain, Presents and Pachyderms

November 26, 2011
This time of year can be pretty difficult for a lot of us. The weather becomes colder and damper. That alone can cause flare ups in those of us who's pain worsens and gets better like the tides of the ocean. As you can see, I am no stranger to pain. In fact, if you were to live daily with me, you would know the bad days simply by how I rattle like a pharmacist's tote bag when I move. Before you get the wrong idea, you should know that I try very hard to keep the narcotics usage way down, simp...
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Pie and Prep. Day

November 22, 2011

Every year the day before Thanksgiving, is pie and prep day. This is the day that makes "The Ginormous Feast" quite a bit less stressfull if it is handled right. By now you have shopped for everything and you know your menue. Now is the time to sit down, go over all the recipes and think what can be done ahead of time, on pie day.

Pie! First thing in the morning, after making sure the kitchen is really clean and as uncluttered as possible, we bake the pies and any other desert someone has made...


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Kitchen Conundrums

November 18, 2011
My kitchen is the hub of our home. It is the place where everyone gathers anytime a good smell is either comming from, or about to come from it. My kitchen is also not suited to my abilities, and renovation is so expensive that it is out of the question, it is my responsibility to figure out ways to work in it safely, not only for myself but also the 2 year old "helper" under wheels.

Plan ahead is always the beginning of any of my cooking projects, I ask someone to reach down any ingredients t...
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Shopping For The Feast!

November 14, 2011
This afternoon I am going to Safeway to shop for the ingredients for our Thanksgiving feast.  We are going today for two reasons. Number 1, it takes about a week in the refridgerator to defrost a turkey of the size that I hope to find, around 20 pounds. And number 2, my daughter Elmo, goes to college every day and also has a job at a local motel front desk, so we have to work around these things in order to fit in the regular, Living Life stuff in.

For the last week or so, we have been making ...
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Dusting Off The Workshop

November 10, 2011
I am fortunate to have enough room for a workshop. One corner is devoted to making soap, one for long running restoration projects and one corner is for whatever craft or project that suits my fancy at the moment.  I can hear you saying, "Wait a second... Rooms usually have four corners... huh?" Well the fourth corner is unfortunately the never ending project of laundry, both dirty and clean.

Why am I sharing my workshop with you?  Actually there are two really good reasons for this post.

The f...
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Batten Down The Hatches!

November 7, 2011
The last two storms that came through here reminded me that it is time to get ready for winter. After last winter and spring where we had 3 major power outages, we need to be even more prepared then other folks. If you're like me, snow means instant homebound and I prepare accordingly. First lay in as much of a supply of non-perishable food stuffs as you can afford. I know that is hard concidering how much the government gives us to live on but do the best you can. If you can find transportat...
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Operation Delegation Holiday

November 4, 2011
Every year around this time, my thoughts turn to the smell of roasting turkey and baking pumpkin pies and the delegation of cooking chores. Delegation does take a bit of planning in order for things to go smoothly and that is why I am discussing them now.  I usually start the process of seeing who is doing what on Halloween.

I love having the Thanksgiving feast. What I don't love is being too exhausted to enjoy it so over the last several years, I have learned to put my trust in my loved ones....
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Left Behind

November 2, 2011
Everyone feels left behind at one time or another, it doesn't matter if you are physically impaired or not. It is different when you are left behind because your mobility equipment is too much trouble or too bulky to fit somewhere. I know this feeling even though I understand in most cases the necessity, it still bothers me on occasion.

We are fortunate to live in an area that is rich in history. That history is also an exception to the ADA laws and unfortunately, those of us using wheels can...
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About Me


Sharon Jacobson I have kids, grandkids, a dog and a cat. I am also a mobility impaired person who happens to use a wheelchair to get around.

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