Last Thursday was the first day of my retirement. I am beginning a new phase. I begin it on medical leave. I am almost completely dependent on my husband to help me get my meals, do laundry, buy food, help with my shower and feed the cat. I had ankle fusion surgery 7 weeks ago. I can’t put weight on my right foot and I’ve been in a cast for 7 weeks. Mostly I sit on the couch boosted by 2 seat cushions with my legs propped up and I watch TV and whatever I can do sitting down. Every hour I get on my knee cruzer (rented) and go to the bathroom where I transfer myself to a bedside commode which my husband put over the toilet. I do a few things while I’m up like get dressed, brush my teeth, get a cup of tea or my lunch, all on the knee cruzer which I have to carefully maneuver through some tight spots, turning and backing up where needed. Today I have the game show channel on. My phone chimes regularly because I’m playing “Words with Friends Now”. I’m getting better. The cat is sleeping lightly next to me. Periodically, I have to re-situate myself when my foot or knee starts hurting but I’m off the pain medicines now, even Tylenol.
Factory farms get even grosser
Watch what you eat..
Great new App – Pepperplate
I started using this app that lets me create menus, import recipes or manually create recipes and make menus out of it. It also lets you save previous menus so you can duplicate liked menus from the past.
NYTimes: Grimm, Staten Island Lawmaker, Is Charged With Fraud
NYTimes: Grimm, Staten Island Lawmaker, Is Charged With Fraud
http://nyti.ms/1rES04n
Slow Food USA
This is an important movement for our health and happiness.
Gun Ownership vs. Gun Deaths by State
Great basic chart comparing gun deaths to gun ownership by state.
A little chart I cooked up from easily available data on the web. Clearly shows that household gun ownership is correlated with gun deaths. These can be homicides, suicides or accidental deaths. See the chart itself for data sources
Vermont expands solar net metering, gives finger to ALEC
Vermont is always leading..
Wayne’s World: Fear and Loathing in the NRA
Upstart Group Pushes Harder Than the N.R.A.
Upstart Group Pushes Harder Than the N.R.A.
Someone posted a “like” on my Facebook stream this week for the new “Guns Everywhere” law in Georgia (state, not country). It was a link from “Gun Owners of America”. I’d heard of this group, another gun lobbyist. I’m posting a year old story from the NYT about it so we can understand who is behind this new lobbyist.
Recipe: Chicken in Coconut Milk with Lemongrass — Recipes from The Kitchn
Must try..
Our piece about Jamie Oliver’s Chicken in Milk got me thinking about other possibilities for cooking a whole chicken in milk — what could be easier than filling a pot with liquid and spices, turning on the heat, and walking away until what’s left is the most succulent fall-off-the-bone bird?
So I decided to try the sweet and pungent flavors of coconut milk, lemongrass and star anise. Served over rice, it’s a one-bowl meal complete with wilted greens and soupy coconut broth.
Joy Space 