Blogging, Family, Favorite Things, Life, Marriage, Parenting, Pets, Soul Homework, Tater Tots, Writing

screw it, i’m eating tater tots – episode 57

Kari

if you’re new to my blog, welcome! here is an explanation of the tater tot post.

healing

xray after cast removal. you can see his new body parts in this picture. 😊

mike’s surgeon gave him the all-clear two weeks ago, and he no longer has to wear his boot! he’s now in physical therapy 1-2 times a week, is boot-free, and can do everything except run. he’s been back at work since the first week of november, and we’re back to our old routines.

he is still limping, but getting better every day.

we understand that there is still work to be done in terms of healing. the medical community is excellent at physically healing us, but not so good at mentally healing us. so we have some work to do on that front.

thank you all for your love and support throughout all of this. this community has been invaluable to me throughout the last three months. i am ever thankful to every single one of you and everything you give to me on a weekly basis.

bye-bye titty

last thursday night, we said goodbye to our beloved car, titty. for those who are new here, you can read all about titty here to catch up. at last count, she had a nail in her tire, no steering fluid, and sounded like she was developing a smoker’s cough. 

okay, i made that last part up. but she was dying, and it was heartbreaking to watch.

my mom once said that she marries the things she owns. my grandmother, her mother, was the same way. that they get attached to things in their life sentimentally. that has never been clearer to me than with this vehicle.

2015

titty taught anna how to drive. she drove anna to college for the first time. she was the restaurant when we couldn’t go inside public places because of the lockdown. each week, she drove us safely to and from horseback riding lessons.

i am very grateful for our new car. it is more reliable, it is better for the environment, less expensive to fill up with gas, and easier to park in tight spaces. this car serves us better now. but i’m grateful to the girl who got us here.

now all i need is a new name. suggestions are welcome.🖤

one thing i read last month

when women were birds by terry tempest williams

one thing i listened to last month

a love song by garth stevenson

and this playlist

one thing i watched last month

buried: the 1982 alpine meadows avalanche

links i clicked on last month

Want to enjoy the holidays? Learn to Oversupport yourself…

Remember by Joy Harjo – Poems

The Le Guin precepts | Seth’s Blog (i mentioned a few months ago that i was seeing ursula le guin everywhere. i forgot this link has been on my laptop’s favorites tab since the summer….)

It happened through a book – Chris Glass

5 Unpopular Opinions That Will Simplify Your Life

five paths to ren – ren rising (this is something i’d like to do as well)

The Best 100 Recipes for 2023 | The Kitchn

Lifelike Bronze Sculptures Capture Expressive Faces and Playful Energy of Children

quotes that had me thinking last month

” it is a joy to be hidden but a disaster not to be found.” – d.w. winnicott

“when we are happy we are always good. but when we are good we are not always happy.” – oscar wilde

” it’s a sad day when you find out that it’s not accident or time or fortune but just yourself that kept things from you.” – lillian hellman

here’s to december…

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45 thoughts on “screw it, i’m eating tater tots – episode 57”

  1. Naming cars is an art. Our older car (she was new when we got her) is a 2010 Hyundai Elantra and she’s named Agnes because she looks like an old lady and moves one like one, too. Our newer car is a white VW wagon and she’s named Hedwig (this is a Harry Potter reference and if you don’t get it, THAT’S FINE). Anyway, I’d love to give more suggestions, but I need more info on the new car to do so!

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I have had a VW (named Hans) and a green Kia (Kermit). I was gong to ask if the new car was smaller than Titty. If so, then Nip.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. I completely understand the attachment to things. It was painful for me to say goodbye to my old car — I had it for 15 years and it had seen me through three states, marriage, and a child. Thank you for your exceptional service, Titty.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Hi Kari! thank you so much for the “shout-out” by sharing one of my links :)

    So glad to hear your husband is healing well! Sorry about Titty!

    As to your new car’s name, i generally like to see a thing before suggesting a name, but i’m going out on a limb and making a suggestion based on one of the links (when women were birds) you posted above: BIRDIE or BIRDY :)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m very happy with his progress. I know he thinks it’s a little slow for him, and I completely understand because I would feel the same way if it were me. But the surgeon told us that full recovery could take up to a year. So all is good. ❤️

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  7. Great news that Mike is healing! And who needs to run? LOL!

    Nothing is more true to me than the issue with too many choices. I find it exhausting and so difficult to make a decision because of this. I loved the 5 Unpopular Opinions That Simplify Life. I don’t wash my clothes together, but one thing I do that most people don’t is I refuse to measure or follow recipes to a T. If it says to mix something in separate bowls before combining, I don’t do it. Why dirty an extra bowl? I’m telling you, my food always turns out just fine, despite my lackadaisical approach. And I save myself time and energy.

    The bronze figures of children looked just like some sculptures we saw outdoors in Palm Beach. I googled to see if it was the same artist, but they were done by someone named Prince Monyo. Both artists do enchanting work.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. RIGHT?? He had never run before, so why start now? 🤣

      I liked the unpopular opinion article as well. Time and effort, yes. 

      On that website, there is another article about a Norwegian artist who did metal work of children’s feet. It was just as lovely.

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  8. Yay to Mike healing.
    Boo to Titty dying.

    I was curious, so I clicked on the Unpopular Opinions link. Back when I was doing laundry (Tara won’t let me near the washer these days…rude!), I never bothered separating darks from whites, and guess what? My clothes were always perfectly fine.

    Which still doesn’t explain why Tara won’t let me handle washing clothes, but I’ll try not to dwell on that too much.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Kari, so happy to hear that Mike is healing well and is boot-free!

    *clapping*

    And you are spot on about this…

    “the medical community is excellent at physically healing us, but not so good at mentally healing us. so we have some work to do on that front.”

    …and that’s because they are trained to only “see” the patient as a “physical body”. My cousin was an MD and he told me that. But what the medical community doesn’t realize is that for healing to take place, you need to address the body, yes, but also the mind and the spirit.

    LOVE that quote by Khan!

    As always, I thoroughly enjoy your eating tater tots posts!

    By the way, I just recently watched the movie “The Holdovers” with Paul Giamatti. FAB-U-LOUS story! And perfect for this time of year. I thought of you while watching it, feeling that you would enjoy it.

    Have a terrific week, my friend!

    P.S. Question: The reason I’m asking this is because I had an issue with Disqus on my blog involving not publishing comments. It did it randomly. I don’t know if you left a comment on my last post, but if you did and didn’t see it. That’s why. X

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know! He was thrilled about getting rid of that thing.

      Body, mind, and spirit. Yes. That is why Reiki is so essential.

      That quote is also one of my favorites. When it comes to pain, I am guilty of doing that.

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      I just saw the trailer for The Holdovers and I’m in tears! I definitely watch it!

      So, I went to your blog and didn’t read the most recent post. I was set to read it with the tab open when my computer shut down to perform an update. I never returned! Gah. It means a lot to me that you noticed I hadn’t left a comment. I’m going there right now to read. 😘❤️

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  10. I have never names one of my cars.

    …And reading Mark’s comment above; I have never (or hardly ever with the exception of brand new dark wash jeans or a red top/sweater) separated my darks and white and I have never had a problem with our wash either.

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  11. For the most part, I also never separate our clothes before washing them – unless it’s something that requires bleach. For the most part, it’s never been a problem. I also find that with just the two of us in the house now, if I waited until I had enough of sorted laundry to run a load, we’d have to buy more undies before laundry got done.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Oof, that Hillman quote is the real deal. Farewell to Titty and welcome to Birdie, and may this time also bring the further healing you’re seeking in recovering fully from the past few months. Enjoy the tater tots… I almost needed some last month!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know. That quote got to me.

      Birdie has been everything we’ve needed in a car. We are so grateful for her.

      Thank you, Steve. That means a lot to us. 🖤

      I had tater tots at a restaurant on Saturday night and didn’t even make the connection to this week’s post. (They were perfectly crispy)

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  13. So many times I read your post and get chills because you mention something I feel connected to and have forgotten about. Terry Tempest Williams-I read Refuge years ago and was fond of her. Will have to check out this newer book. And the last time you mentioned Ursula LeGuin, I was going to say this but didn’t want to sound name dropping but now will say that a close friend of mine in Seattle, who was a psychiatrist in a practice w me, was a close friend of Ursula’s. They and their spouses went on trips together. When Ursula died the other year I called my friend right away. I’ll have to look back on your posts to find out more about your soul connection w Ursula.
    I’m glad Mike’s healing.
    I’m grateful for your posts and comments.❤️
    Titty’s a hard name to top. How about Bidet? Very French sounding.😂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, Donna, I love that you had a connection to Ursula! This, I believe, was the reason I was supposed to bring her up! I almost didn’t say anything about the link; I was just going to include it. But I wanted to bring it up again. I love stories like this. Thank you so much for sharing this with me. 😘

      I am so grateful for your comments. They mean so much to me.

      Birdie was suggested in the comments by another friend, and I fell in love with it right away. But I LOVE BIDET! Birdie and Bidet are very close….🤣

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I love that article about unpopular opinions! I already do most of them, but it’s nice to know there are others like me out there. I’m sorry about your poor car, but happy that your new one is so lovely, and I hope it’ll transport you safely for many years.

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  15. Hooray that Mike is finally boot-free! I’m sure he’s very happy about that.

    I am terrible with thinking up names for cars. The only car I’ve ever named was my old Honda Accord: Henrietta Honda. I’m not that sentimental about cars. I look at them as a means to get back and forth to where I want to go, and that’s about it. I do like/love my car (and the ones I’ve had before my CR-V) and I’m grateful I have one. Sooo…what kind of car did you get?

    I like that 5 paths poem. I’m going to try that! Can you believe I’m still working on the I am From poem? Well, I’m not actively working on it. I am stuck with finding the right words for a couple of the spaces, so I tucked the poem away. I bring it out every once in awhile and see if any new inspiration has struck.

    Laundry (from one of your links). I do sort mine – most of the time. I usually wash whites, darks and towels separately. Sheets too – but those take up an entire load themselves. If I’m being lazy or don’t have enough whites to make up a load, I throw the few whites in with the darks. Doesn’t happen often though because the whites get dingy, especially with having well water.

    xoxo

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    1. He’s ecstatic.

      Mike has the same feelings about cars as you do. We bought a CR-V! I love it so much. 

      I began writing my I am from poem in January, but it wasn’t published until the fall. So I completely understand. When it comes to prompts, I like to take my time. ❤️😘

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  16. I’m SO happy that your honey is on the mend and getting better daily.
    Well, if your new car was a Volvo, in keeping with Titty, I’d say name her Vulva. 🤓
    My girlfriend D and her family all name their cars with the word CAR in them.
    Carson. Carmichael. Scarlett. Carlos. Oscar. You get my drift?
    I’ve never named a car, so please don’t tell my cars.

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  17. RIP Titty. What color or make or size is the new car – these details might impact a car name. ;)

    So happy to hear that Mike is on the mend. What an ordeal.

    I had not heard of sleep divorce. Sign me up! We will have to wait for some of these bedrooms to clear out in order to make this happen. It makes so much sense though. Why must we sleep in the same bed? I’ll gladly skip the snoring and blanket hogging.

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    1. Someone gave her a name! Birdie. 🖤

      Sleep divorce has been going on since he broke his leg, and it’s actually working out pretty well. We both agree that it was the best sleep we’d had in a long time. But I agree. Sleeping in the same bed is not what strengthens a marriage.

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