The Traditions

 Highlight of the week was seeing this fellow for dinner at a restaurant.  Now he's gone, but that's part of life, people.  You've got to deal with it. My advice: Focus on the good times and not the heart wrenching departures. 

This highlight is not what I want to write about today.  Today our topic is CARDS.  I now know how to play bridge.  It has taken several years for me to get to the point where I can identify the kinds of mistakes I'm making as I play.  Can not yet figure out how to prevent these mistakes, but that might come after 3 to 4 more years of practice.  Sitting at a card table with pals is pleasant and every new hand brings surprises. 

Since we're talking about cards, I want to extend kudos to my friend and colleague SJ for bringing decks of cards on Thursday's field trip to the History Museum.  When life got loud after lunch, we turned to the magic of card playing.  I joined 4 girls and suggested a game of Go Fish.  

Get this.

They had never played Go Fish. What in the world?  I played Go Fish and War countless times when I was a kid. Did I enjoy these games?  Not really, but I played anyway. Did they get boring?  Obviously, but that's beside the point. 

After my outrage, I taught them how to play.  The game was moving along when a 3rdLander asked, "Does anyone have a J?" 

J?????  

It's called a JACK, my friend!!! A JACK! 

WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?

We are losing our card playing traditions and we need to remedy this problem PDQ.  Teach a kid to play Go Fish today.  Please.  #saveGOfish

The Amber Jellies

 You can eat the amber jelly fungus, but before you do, feel free to admire its wrinkly texture and lively spirit.  I watched a video of a homesteader sautéing amber jellies for 15 minutes with some spices, which are essential due to the amber jelly's bland rubbery taste. 

Amber jellies are common, but they're unique in that they're one of the few mushrooms that pop up in winter. A cross between crumpled paper and a tiny coral reef on a stick, amber jelly fungus spotted in your yard indicates a cause for concern.  Amber jellies feed on decomposing trees, so I'm sorry to break this to you, but your tree might be dying.  

In my research on amber jellies, conducted over the past two days, I've read about homesteaders who forage for fauna and teach others how to cook the amber jelly fungus for use as a decorative topping for venison meatballs.  Why can't these people just go to the grocery store?  Why should the amber jellies, who struggle to survive in winter climes, be reduced to tasteless garnish for those with misguided braggadocio? 

Next up:  Wood Ear Mushrooms.

The Medical Narratives

 

The week began with a procedure that went well and inspired a story idea, which I will share here.  

Iris is in the midst of a colonoscopy when unbeknownst to her a man barges in to the operating room and shoots the doctor and the nurse (formerly lovers).  All others run out of the room and out of the building.  Iris gradually comes to consciousness as the sedation wanes. Waking to the crime scene carnage around her, she slowly puts two and two together.  An image of her large intestine hovers over her from a computer screen. With the 72 inch colonoscopy scope still well wound inside her lower torso, she's not sure what to do next.  

The week ended with a routine trip to the dentist.  Hygienist, super nice woman, talked through the entire cleaning, which I find awkward, but also somewhat engaging.

This gal has 22 chickens.  Each is named and loved.  Last week she rescued Chicken Madeline from a hawk's clutches. When she drives into her driveway, the chickens all run to her car to welcome her home.  After the cleaning I got to see a video of the chickens eating a dinner of soup.  She makes this soup for them when the weather gets cold.  It contains large amounts of cayenne, which helps keep the chickens' bodies warm.  The hygienist is looking for a home for one of her 3 roosters, but will only part with him if she's guaranteed that he will not be culled. (AKA killed).  If no one takes him, she will purchase a new set of chickens for him to start his own brood.  The other two roosters don't want anything to do with him at this point. 

In between these health related events, the week rolled along happily, with some good times in 3rdLand, dinners out with friend Nancer and with Husbandman, and time with my notebook.  Hope your week was also pleasant with some good stories to tell. 

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