Author Archives: Jennie

Christmas Is Coming and I’m Not Going to Let My Goose Get Cooked

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Last night I went to a merchandise party at a friend’s house. It was good to get out of my rehab clothes, put on a pair of skinny-ish jeans and visit with my friends. While I was only able to have about an ounce of wine, it was my first glass since before the surgery, and I enjoyed that as well. I finished up the evening with Pellegrino and lime — yes, I was a very good girl! My friend had a lot of funny cocktail napkins, but I just had to take a photo of this one, with proof of my non-drinking in the photo, of course.

GotMyReservations Cocktail Napkin Thinking about this napkin made me realize that for the first time in many years, I am going to have what I’ve always dreamed of — a house full of family and friends around my table for Christmas.

And we may need alcohol to get through it all.

When my daughter asked me if we could have British Christmas this year, it was shortly before my surgery and I agreed happily to host the party. British Christmas is a tradition that we have celebrated several years with friends who are originally from England, and some of the group currently live in England. When they come over for the holidays, they bring puddings and sauces and traditional English Christmas specialties. Being the Anglophile that I am, I have reveled in this opportunity to do Christmas English-style. We watch the Queen’s Christmas message on BBC and we open the crackers and wear silly paper crowns for the meal. It’s just heavenly for the little girl who grew up reading every book about English royalty that I could find in the library.  My caveat for doing the hosting this year was that the “kids” would have to chip in and do a lot of the work as both my English friend and I (the moms) will be post orthopedic rehab and not at our full hostessing potential.

Do I have it in me to let go and let someone else do Christmas in my house?

It turns out that my daughter’s British boyfriend is quite the chef – I already knew he was a foodie — and has opinions as to what should be served at this meal. And from there comes the rub. There’s the two young men from England who want to cook, and there’s the friend who will choose the wine. There’s the list of side dishes that are traditionally English and not what my family traditions dictate. I already ordered nuts and bridge mix from the church fundraiser, cheesecakes from the marching band fundraiser and there’s the annual gift of a bûche de Noël from another special friend. What is there for me to do?

Got My Reservations - Yule LogAnd that’s the silliest question ever, isn’t it?

My grown-up children are taking charge of the meal and putting most of it on the table. For once, I can be the sage on the side and sit with my knee propped up as needed. They can provide me with a list and we’ll do the shopping. I can plan a drop-dead tablescape and they can put it on the table for me. It’s every mother’s dream to see her children grow up and become adults who can do holidays themselves.

My son and his new bride will arrive the day AFTER Christmas, and of course, we will do it all again with a small open house to welcome them back to Chicago. I will need help with that as well. Another fun meal, and another chance to create a new tablescape. I can’t wait.

But I’m still a little wistful. I remember when my mom stopped having Thanksmas (our family’s Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled into one holiday), and we started having the party at my brother’s house. My mom seemed very old and fragile, but I doubt that she was even as old as I am now. I feel as though I’ve never had the chance to celebrate Christmas in my house as we have often traveled out west or to Ohio to have Christmas with family. My table here in Chicago has seen very few Christmas feasts — metaphorically, of course, as my table is brand new.

 I’m finally having Christmas at our house but I won’t be in control.

That’s even sillier than the last statement. Control is an illusion. Is one ever “in control” of anything?

So here’s my plan for the next four weeks. I’m going to decorate the heck out of this house, with the help of Music Man who seems to be eager to participate this year. I’m going to do a little redecorating and freshening up in the guest rooms — sleeping in one’s guest room post-surgery is a good way to find out the the ceiling fan hums way too loudly. Sorry about that, all the friends and family who’ve slept there before. I’m going to make lists and lists and lists, and encourage people to choose jobs from those lists.

I’m going to step back and let them do it. I promise, here in front of the world and everyone, that I WILL NOT let Christmas cook my goose this year.

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Image Credit

I can do it. With grace and patience. Because I love them.

 

 

Purple Haze Tablescape

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Tiered centerpieces have always intrigued me and I’ve saved pictures and pinned more than a few sites with elaborate tiered beauties. When I re-discovered matching purpley Partylite candle rings in my stash closet, I figured that I had the inspiration for a new fall tablescape. It didn’t quite turn out as expected, but I present my Purple Haze Tablescape — a little bit more of “kissing the fall sky” before we launch into Christmas.Purple Haze Tablescape Intro

My inspiration for this ‘scape started with this tiered centerpiece from Note Songs 2013. I cannot find the original post, but do visit Shelia at Note Songs and say “Hi!” I liked the way the textures of the white roses, artichokes, and glass played together. Continue reading →

Knee Rehab Thoughts and Recommendations for Nursing Care Providers

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Being in nursing care for a week gives one a lot of time to think and plan. At least it does if you are like me.

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Many of us in my demographic have spent a lot of time with our parents in nursing care facilities, but when one is forced to be in nursing care in our not-yet-old years, the situation changes. We are NOT our parents; we are avid foodies and technology users. We know what a sheet with a high thread count feels like. We research everything on Mr. Internet and can find out when we are being strung a line of BS. So get with it, health care!

  1. It’s important to know one’s target market and audience. Management people at nursing care facilities need to be more careful about one-size-fits-all care. Before you start in on your canned questionnaire, learn something about me. Find out how I used to spend my days before I was in your facility. Then target your questions appropriately.  I was visited by a social worker or volunteer every day and asked questions such as, “Do you play games such as bingo and bunko?” and ” What do you do in your free time?” When I answered that I like to cook in my free time, the response was, “No, in your FREE time!”, as if cooking was a chore rather than a delight. Apparently reading and watching television were the “right” answers; I finally sussed that out. And I don’t even know what bunko is! Social workers surely have resources that give them insights into the activities of certain age groups in geographical areas and these need to be incorporated into screening and data gathering products.
  2. Update decorating and menus based on current trends. Anyone who has watched Hotel Impossible knows that patterned institutional bed covers are suspect. If you haven’t personally watched your bedding being changed, you have absolutely no idea where it’s been. White is always right and easily washable. Although the meals in the rehab center weren’t bad, they were old school comfort food. Nothing says get well like a mushy stalk of asparagus and a slab of Boston creme pie.
  3. Everyone deserves privacy and respectful treatment. Day after day and night after night, in both the hospital and the rehab center, staff members left doors wide open, displaying patients’ personal belongings and even worse, patients’ bodies. The night staff members stood outside in the hall holding conversations at full voice despite the fact that the patients are supposed to be in bed, asleep. We are not all hard-of-hearing, and it is not appropriate for me to hear about my neighbor’s problem with impacted bowels. And I should have access to a locked compartment  in my hospital room in case I want to secure some of my personal belongings.
  4. We are a generation of technology-users, and nursing care facilities should make it easy for the patients and their guests to plug in and connect with the outside world. My hospital room did not have enough electrical outlets to plug in my CPAP sleep apnea machine, and we had to bring an extension cord from home so that I could use my CPAP and charge my phone at the same time. The battery on my IV pole ran down twice in one night and its very loud alarm went off, practically scaring me to death. No wonder I had an irregularity in my heart rate that first night.
  5. In the age of word-processing, any document that I am asked to sign should be tailored to my situation. The nursing facility has all of my personal information and my insurance info before I even am checked in. There just isn’t any comprehensible reason that a pre-Medicare-aged person is asked to sign a document allowing the Social Security Administration access to my medical records. It would save wear and tear on the poor schmucks who have to come around and get my signature on insurance assignments; I pity the young man who encountered both my neighbor Marty and me on the same afternoon. Neither of us would sign the majority of the items in his fourteen page document as they didn’t apply to us.

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That being said, there are hundreds of nursing care employees who are doing a wonderful job in a difficult and draining environment. Most of my nurses were pleasant no matter what, and my physical therapists worked long hours in uncomfortable work spaces. I believe that these men and women really cared about me and the other patients entrusted to their care and did their best even though there were problems everywhere. To my wonderful therapist Carlito and all the other workers, I say thank you, thank you, thank you.

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National Wildlife Federation Catalog Walk

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Welcome to Monday and Catalog Walk at Got My Reservations!

As tablescapers, we are dedicated to using inherited beauties from our grandmothers and rescuing cast-off lovelies from thrift stores. Sometimes, however, we can do a good thing for the universe while also creating a beautiful table.

Today I’ve featured tableware from the National Wildlife Federation‘s winter catalog. Click into the photo caption to connect to the online catalog.

“National Wildlife Federation’s mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. National Wildlife Federation (NWF) works with over 4 million members, partners, and supporters to actively educate, inspire, and promote achievable solutions to everyday Americans in communities from coast-to-coast.Our conservation work focuses on three major areas that will have the biggest impact on the future of America’s wildlife:

1.  Confront global warming, the single most urgent threat to wildlife.
2.  Protect and restore wildlife habitat, to ensure a wildlife legacy for our children.
3.  Connect with nature by fostering profound and personal connections between people and nature.”

Let’s take a walk through the NWF’s 2013 Christmas catalog.

Grouped together or sprinkled throughout the tablescape, these jar candles are stunning for your Christmas decor. Oil candles are filled with faux berries and greenery, with clean-burning oil and fiberglass wick that does not need to be replaced. Glass is 40% recycled.

These birchbark votives add a woodland touch to a tablescape and are a good value at $19.99 for a set of three.

These beautiful embossed pine cone stoneware bowls could be used in a variety of places on the table, including as a vase for a centerpiece.

You can’t go wrong with April Cornell linens in any season.

The Holly Berry plaid napkin and napkin ring are the perfect counterpoint for the rest of the pieces.

In the tablescaping world, EVERYONE needs a set of Christmas dishes. These don’t scream Santa…

Are you ready for something new for your table? I hope that I have whetted your appetite for some natural elements in your home.

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I’ve promoted National Wildlife Federation products here, but am not under any sponsorship connection with them.

Got my bags, got my reservations,
Spent each dime I could afford.
Like a child in wild anticipation,
I long to hear that, “All aboard!”

Music and lyrics by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer (1944)

 

 

 

 

 

Baguette du France Vignette

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Becoming part of the tablescaping community has been really inspirational for me, as I have been treated to home decor genius by many creative ladies (and a few gentlemen). I’ve always been a person who “set the table” and created tablescapes, but I was never particularly good at creating vignettes around my house.

I just don’t seem to have the vignette gene.

Continue reading →

Falling Leaves Tablescape

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As I look around my neighborhood, it’s pretty clear that autumn is in its last surge of brilliant color.

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Japanese maple in its fall foliage

After years of nursing along tiny stripling shrubs, their reason for existence in my hedgerows is finally obvious.

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The burning bush is showing off its hot pink leaves with abandon.

The tabletop in my dining room is also displaying an autumnal theme — the Falling Leaves Tablescape.

GotMyReservations-Falling Leaves Tablescape Intro

Continue reading →

Inspiration from Pottery Barn

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I love catalogs. When the holiday catalogs start rolling in during October and early November, I am greedy in my eagerness to see what new and wonderful things are out there in the stores. I rarely buy any of it, but sometimes use the beautiful photos as an inspiration for my own decor. Because you are my people and are kindred spirits, you know exactly what I mean.

Take, for example, this stunning mantel piece from Pottery Barn.

Pottery Barn Autumn Centerpiece

Image Credit

Continue reading →

Quoth The Raven Tablescape

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For months I’d been planning to do homage to Edgar Allan Poe, the literary master of scary stuff, for my Halloween tablescape. I bought a raven statue as soon as they went on special the first time at Michael’s.  Imagine my surprise when I started seeing black birds on all the table displays at my favorite stores. I was absolutely crushed that I wasn’t original. I got over that when I realized that pretty much everyone in tablescaping land has black birds in their stash, and so with only one day to go, I set up my Quoth the Raven tablescape.

GotMyReservations - Quoth the Raven Intro

Continue reading →

Should

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Facebook just told me I’m 56 days away from Christmas.

1390558_10152046078923804_21486342_nI should be happy about that — I love Christmas and now that I’m not working in a public school, I’m free to wear every freakin’ piece of tacky Christmas clothing and jewelry that I own.

Yet between now and then, I have eight more days to worry incessantly about whether I did the right thing in choosing to have a knee replacement before I was desperate. I have eight more days to clean my house so that people can come to help me after I come home from rehab and I won’t be embarrased by all my clutter. I have eight more days to make all of the phone calls for pre-certification and to find all the medical supplies I’m supposed to have. Like raised toilet seats for our three toilets. Like a bath chair. (I already have a walker!)

Like elastic shoe laces. OMG. Where does one find such a thing?

SpringyLaces

I should be doing my laundry and putting it all away. I should be cleaning out my file drawer so that I can file away the current set of insurance nightmares before I start on the next set from my surgery. I should be cleaning the bedroom with the low bed in it so that I can get in and out of bed when I come home from rehab.

I should be going to the gym.

Should. Should. Should. It’s drumming in my head.

And then I open Shauna Niequist’s blog post for today entitled SHOULD is a warning.

Should is not good for my spirit. Should is making me unhappy and fearful — and a little angry with myself.

Unfortunately, I still have to do these things but I have to figure out a way to make them happy rather than sad. Make them want tos and not shoulds.

Like Shauna, I decided that it was important to say it out loud that I’m scared of shoulds. I want them to become wants.

I need to change my perspective on my next fifty-six days; by Christmas this will all be behind me and I will be ready to do things I haven’t been able to do in years.

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I want to be able to climb down a hill without hanging on to someone’s arm.

I want to be able to climb to the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral and know that I can get back down.

I want to do the Halloween tablescape I’ve been planning for months.

I want to get my books in order so that I have plenty to read while incarcerated in rehab.

I want to start to plan Christmas decorations and meals.

And I want to go do my laundry. Thanks for listening!

Postscript on October 30: Big thanks go out to Kim from Curtain Queen Creates who sent me to a local big box shoe store where I found PINK elastic springy shoelaces. I never shop there because I’ve been wearing the cutest orthopedic shoes I can find for years and they don’t carry such a thing. And yes, I know that’s an oxymoron, but hope springs eternal!

 

 

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