'Christmas Eve' in Cubicle 67.
Really the only thing that made this morning Christmasesque at all was the light grey frost in the air, that has now dissolved into pure bright sunlight. Although winter is upon us - it's definitely getting colder in Cubicle 67.
The last few days of Advent have involved 2 emergency trips to a dentist and an oral surgeon for a wisdom tooth extraction, followed by a rigorous after care of ice, salt water flushes, pain meds and gauze replacements every 1/2 hour for at least 24 hours. I have been playing nurse (as I'm sure many other mothers, wives and husbands are over the holidays). Although there was an element of panic and a little disappointment, for my husband, as he watched me eat a Christmas cracker with cheese and sip on half a glass of the families organic red wine - seriously good stuff, (I'll probably do a wine post soon).
Unfortunately the US is very different in it's sick leave/holiday system, unlike the UK which gives every person 21 days statutory holiday (to be taken as and when). His tooth extraction would have cost $0 instead of $420, although he may have had to wait until after Christmas to get it pulled - causing more problems. The comparisons between the UK and US are not a complaint, just a learning curve. We've found some great dental insurance to deal with the next 3 he'll have coming out next year and I'm SO grateful for a good dentist and oral surgeon, who although had to make the decision to aggressively operate (with full force, ripping my poor guy's mouth open), saved him from having to go under anesthesia and have major invasive surgery near a nerve.
After 24 hours on a liquid/soft diet I bundled him off with a blended mix of power veggies and brown rice. Due to the nature of his work, he can't take the super strong pain medication whilst there, so I'm praying he gets through the day and his colleagues and clients are nice to him.
As we had to emergency budget our Christmas, we opted to cook up some tri-tip (instead of lamb - which is very expensive here) for tomorrows Christmas Dinner, with a few classically British veggies, stuffing from home and I even found some 'Bisto' gravy in World Market. I am looking forward to this feast - not looking forward to seeing him sucking on a parsnip for 2 hours, but thankfully we have a tiny mini-chopper I can use to blend anything too tough! (Sounds so groce).
I was planning on making a very chocolaty Yule Log for afters, but have decided to hold off until New Years (when he and a few others can enjoy it more). I'm worried too much sugar will not help the healing process.
Prior to all the sizzling surgical action of late we have done a few very fun Advent things, such as go to church with our cousins in town, drive around to look at Christmas lights with them and have them and their kids over to our place. We even learnt all about Hanukkah, or what Jesus would have celebrated as the 'feast of dedication' in the Jewish Tradition. I tried hard not to giggle during the reading of Hanukkah at Valley Forge (as I married my husband on July 4th).
One of my favourite things to do each Christmas is a $5 or $10 gift run. We both go to a store or the mall and have about 20 or 30 minutes to run around and find a little gift for the allotted amount. That is normally all we buy for one another, although this year I've been attempting to make him a little card holder from my leather scraps - my sewing machine worked a treat so I'll post a pic when he finds it in his stocking! I'm excited to work with leather for the first time and have a few ideas brewing.
Stockings = 2 old dirty ski socks, that he resurrected last night with a challenge to decorate. Although FULL of wholes (which I intend to darn later), they look sort of cute...fitting our Ski-Lodge/Cabin style home.
Tonight depending on how my dear one is, we may go to church or midnight mass, decorate our 'ski-socks' and watch a few more episodes of Northern Exposure (one of our favourite wintertime shows filmed in the 90s set in Alaska).
Traditionally in his family they have a whole crab or two each on Christmas Eve? We do not have any crab! We have some fish sticks, not even any shrimp! So a spaghetti dinner it is tonight (with chopped up spaghetti).
I just got to talk with my family in England, it was really good to see them all and I'm so grateful for the people who invented skype. You are my favourite.
If you are one of my relatives reading this - I LOVE YOU!!!! Hugs and Kisses.
The last few days of Advent have involved 2 emergency trips to a dentist and an oral surgeon for a wisdom tooth extraction, followed by a rigorous after care of ice, salt water flushes, pain meds and gauze replacements every 1/2 hour for at least 24 hours. I have been playing nurse (as I'm sure many other mothers, wives and husbands are over the holidays). Although there was an element of panic and a little disappointment, for my husband, as he watched me eat a Christmas cracker with cheese and sip on half a glass of the families organic red wine - seriously good stuff, (I'll probably do a wine post soon).
Unfortunately the US is very different in it's sick leave/holiday system, unlike the UK which gives every person 21 days statutory holiday (to be taken as and when). His tooth extraction would have cost $0 instead of $420, although he may have had to wait until after Christmas to get it pulled - causing more problems. The comparisons between the UK and US are not a complaint, just a learning curve. We've found some great dental insurance to deal with the next 3 he'll have coming out next year and I'm SO grateful for a good dentist and oral surgeon, who although had to make the decision to aggressively operate (with full force, ripping my poor guy's mouth open), saved him from having to go under anesthesia and have major invasive surgery near a nerve.
After 24 hours on a liquid/soft diet I bundled him off with a blended mix of power veggies and brown rice. Due to the nature of his work, he can't take the super strong pain medication whilst there, so I'm praying he gets through the day and his colleagues and clients are nice to him.
As we had to emergency budget our Christmas, we opted to cook up some tri-tip (instead of lamb - which is very expensive here) for tomorrows Christmas Dinner, with a few classically British veggies, stuffing from home and I even found some 'Bisto' gravy in World Market. I am looking forward to this feast - not looking forward to seeing him sucking on a parsnip for 2 hours, but thankfully we have a tiny mini-chopper I can use to blend anything too tough! (Sounds so groce).
I was planning on making a very chocolaty Yule Log for afters, but have decided to hold off until New Years (when he and a few others can enjoy it more). I'm worried too much sugar will not help the healing process.
Prior to all the sizzling surgical action of late we have done a few very fun Advent things, such as go to church with our cousins in town, drive around to look at Christmas lights with them and have them and their kids over to our place. We even learnt all about Hanukkah, or what Jesus would have celebrated as the 'feast of dedication' in the Jewish Tradition. I tried hard not to giggle during the reading of Hanukkah at Valley Forge (as I married my husband on July 4th).
One of my favourite things to do each Christmas is a $5 or $10 gift run. We both go to a store or the mall and have about 20 or 30 minutes to run around and find a little gift for the allotted amount. That is normally all we buy for one another, although this year I've been attempting to make him a little card holder from my leather scraps - my sewing machine worked a treat so I'll post a pic when he finds it in his stocking! I'm excited to work with leather for the first time and have a few ideas brewing.
Stockings = 2 old dirty ski socks, that he resurrected last night with a challenge to decorate. Although FULL of wholes (which I intend to darn later), they look sort of cute...fitting our Ski-Lodge/Cabin style home.
Tonight depending on how my dear one is, we may go to church or midnight mass, decorate our 'ski-socks' and watch a few more episodes of Northern Exposure (one of our favourite wintertime shows filmed in the 90s set in Alaska).
Traditionally in his family they have a whole crab or two each on Christmas Eve? We do not have any crab! We have some fish sticks, not even any shrimp! So a spaghetti dinner it is tonight (with chopped up spaghetti).
I just got to talk with my family in England, it was really good to see them all and I'm so grateful for the people who invented skype. You are my favourite.
If you are one of my relatives reading this - I LOVE YOU!!!! Hugs and Kisses.
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