Eric and I have been sobered and saddened by the recent news of a friend's death on the way back from GYC and the critical (but improving) condition of Al Huong, another friend. We are cheered to know he was extubated yesterday. Our prayers are with him. Just serves to remind us how short and uncertain life can be, we have to be ready to go at any moment.
Eric and I enjoyed watching GYC on our own personal computer! We couldn't go this year, but were able to stream it live from 3ABN. We enjoyed seeing many of our friends as the cameras panned the audience: Jennifer Mundall, Carlos and Dafne Moretta, and our long lost Rodney Abriol. Wish we could have been there.
In the midst of all this, however, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Eric and I weren't going to "do Christmas" this year. However, when Eric paged me on Christmas Eve (I was at work) to ask where wrapping paper is kept, I became a little suspicious. When I arrived home, exhausted and hungry (13 hours since breakfast and no lunch or snack), I found our little tree covered with three beautifully wrapped presents! I had so much fun opening them (despite getting multiple pages from the hospital and patients). He got me a HUGE pear, a bag of dates (we're a pair, and Eric's promised to take us "as a pair" on at least one date every month next year), a bag of potato chips (don't laugh, I prefer potato chips to candy!), a box of my favorite crackers, and three boxes of my favorite cereal...Did you notice the food theme? Anyhow, I was so excited that he was willing to go shopping and buy me my favorite foods ON CHRISTMAS EVE when he was post call after a hard night working. It was just sooooo sweet!
Christmas day.
Eric and I spent part of the day together. I rounded on my ONE heme-onc patient in the morning but was able to come home for several hours during the day--all fired up to make Christmas dinner. Since all shops are closed on Christmas, dinner consisted with what pitifully few supplies I had on hand: a bag of yams, a butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli. I wanted to make a pumpkin pie, but not having pumpkin, found a recipe for "squash pie." I proceeded to make this "squash pie" with full gusto, determined that we would have an appropriately festive pie for our Christmas dinner. The pie filling and pie shells quickly came together: the pies looked gorgeous, nice, pumpkin-orange color, perfectly smooth top, well formed crust edge. Before placing them in the oven, however, I asked Eric to lick some of the filling still clinging tenaciously to the blender bottom. It didn't really meet his expectations for a pumpkin pie imitation, but he thought it MIGHT pass. I suggested he doctor up one of the pies, and we'd keep the other pie filling status quo. After some rummaging, Eric found his needed potions and proceeded to add nutmeg, cloves, Cinnamon, dates, and molasses to his pie filling, he had to re-blend it in the process. the once nice crust looked a little bedraggled when we finally put the pie into the oven.
After the pies were completed, we had to work on getting the rest of dinner put together. Eric made spoon bread while I put together a rather limited salad with fresh broccoli heads and cherry tomatoes. I also made a yam dish out of yams, pineapple, raisins, and coconut (actually really good if you've never tried it).
In between the dinner preparations, my neighborhood kids visited and I took an extended break to read them stories. Following their visit, we had to completely re-clean and sterilize the living room as their greasy, snot covered hands had explored every surface. I love them to death, however, and really don't mind.
Unfortunately, the yams took FOREVER to cook, and since I had to return to the hospital early in the afternoon, we decided to just serve ourselves the spoon bread, salad, and then the wonderful pies. I turned the Christmas lights on to try and set a festive mood.
The spoon bread was very good, the salad, well, it was very heavy on the "good for you so eat it" side--you know, the kind of food that makes your REALLY look forward to a nice desert to wash the taste away. Eric was given the honor of serving the pie.
Getting straight to the point it was terrible. Both pies, despite generous amount of tofu whipped topping, were inedible. I think the closest thing I can think of to describe what the tasted like is a combo of turpentine and trash (although to my knowledge up until today I've never tasted either). Eric was so polite and kind and tried very hard to eat his piece, but even he could see wisdom in throwing both pies away-which was done without further ado. Oh well, better luck next year?
Merry Christmas everyone!
Love,
Rachel (and Eric)
Eric and I enjoyed watching GYC on our own personal computer! We couldn't go this year, but were able to stream it live from 3ABN. We enjoyed seeing many of our friends as the cameras panned the audience: Jennifer Mundall, Carlos and Dafne Moretta, and our long lost Rodney Abriol. Wish we could have been there.
In the midst of all this, however, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Eric and I weren't going to "do Christmas" this year. However, when Eric paged me on Christmas Eve (I was at work) to ask where wrapping paper is kept, I became a little suspicious. When I arrived home, exhausted and hungry (13 hours since breakfast and no lunch or snack), I found our little tree covered with three beautifully wrapped presents! I had so much fun opening them (despite getting multiple pages from the hospital and patients). He got me a HUGE pear, a bag of dates (we're a pair, and Eric's promised to take us "as a pair" on at least one date every month next year), a bag of potato chips (don't laugh, I prefer potato chips to candy!), a box of my favorite crackers, and three boxes of my favorite cereal...Did you notice the food theme? Anyhow, I was so excited that he was willing to go shopping and buy me my favorite foods ON CHRISTMAS EVE when he was post call after a hard night working. It was just sooooo sweet!
Christmas day.
Eric and I spent part of the day together. I rounded on my ONE heme-onc patient in the morning but was able to come home for several hours during the day--all fired up to make Christmas dinner. Since all shops are closed on Christmas, dinner consisted with what pitifully few supplies I had on hand: a bag of yams, a butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli. I wanted to make a pumpkin pie, but not having pumpkin, found a recipe for "squash pie." I proceeded to make this "squash pie" with full gusto, determined that we would have an appropriately festive pie for our Christmas dinner. The pie filling and pie shells quickly came together: the pies looked gorgeous, nice, pumpkin-orange color, perfectly smooth top, well formed crust edge. Before placing them in the oven, however, I asked Eric to lick some of the filling still clinging tenaciously to the blender bottom. It didn't really meet his expectations for a pumpkin pie imitation, but he thought it MIGHT pass. I suggested he doctor up one of the pies, and we'd keep the other pie filling status quo. After some rummaging, Eric found his needed potions and proceeded to add nutmeg, cloves, Cinnamon, dates, and molasses to his pie filling, he had to re-blend it in the process. the once nice crust looked a little bedraggled when we finally put the pie into the oven.
After the pies were completed, we had to work on getting the rest of dinner put together. Eric made spoon bread while I put together a rather limited salad with fresh broccoli heads and cherry tomatoes. I also made a yam dish out of yams, pineapple, raisins, and coconut (actually really good if you've never tried it).
In between the dinner preparations, my neighborhood kids visited and I took an extended break to read them stories. Following their visit, we had to completely re-clean and sterilize the living room as their greasy, snot covered hands had explored every surface. I love them to death, however, and really don't mind.
Unfortunately, the yams took FOREVER to cook, and since I had to return to the hospital early in the afternoon, we decided to just serve ourselves the spoon bread, salad, and then the wonderful pies. I turned the Christmas lights on to try and set a festive mood.
The spoon bread was very good, the salad, well, it was very heavy on the "good for you so eat it" side--you know, the kind of food that makes your REALLY look forward to a nice desert to wash the taste away. Eric was given the honor of serving the pie.
Getting straight to the point it was terrible. Both pies, despite generous amount of tofu whipped topping, were inedible. I think the closest thing I can think of to describe what the tasted like is a combo of turpentine and trash (although to my knowledge up until today I've never tasted either). Eric was so polite and kind and tried very hard to eat his piece, but even he could see wisdom in throwing both pies away-which was done without further ado. Oh well, better luck next year?
Merry Christmas everyone!
Love,
Rachel (and Eric)