Welcome to the Carb Kingdom

I decided I'd do a breakfast Playdate Sunday now and again. This Sunday past I made Overnight Creme Brûlée French Toast, Sausage Gravy and biscuits, and hashbrowns.  Then Jordan showed up with his wares- potato bread and a beautiful sourdough loaf. Next Rae came in with garlic knots, oh my.

                             



If that weren't bad, um or good, enough, I had too much french bread from the toast and  finally, some fun stuff from the garden, so I whipped up some garlic butter, buttered the bread up, cut it in cubes and toasted it in the cast iron skillet. Then I stirred up a favorite summer salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, oil and vinegar and a chiffonade of basil, that is stirred up and spooned over those warm, toasty, garlic bits. It just doesn't get any better.
Ahem, I better fix steamed squash next week.

Take a peek at what came out of the garden this week.

Do you know these?  Snake beans.

Spikey Indian cucumbers that look like a ton of vines and no produce. You have to hunt them.

I would love to take you for a stroll in my garden, just so you could see these on the vine.  In the bowl, they're  cute cherry tomatoes, but on the vine they are iridescent marbles that just draw your eye and make you smile.

 And my most favorite tomato. They are simply perfect!

Handy Man and I both left work for his appointment with the cardiologist today. 

He had to go in way earlier than usual. There is a new policy where he works that allows you to go in early or stay late to do your eight hours when you have an appointment.  Wow, genius.  

So, I get up, let the dog out, who is used to having his hour on the couch with Handy Man.  Every time I shift, which with this hip is often, he bolts off the couch like someone shot him.  Handy man isn't wiggly like me.  I tell him he's fine, and pat the couch and he gets back up beside me. Rinse, wash, repeat.  Only when he shoots off the couch, he gives me a disgusted look and goes and gets back in his kennel. Sorry pooch, Dad will be back in the morning. 

When we were both off work, I always aimed to have Handy Man at the doc at least a half hour early, as I discovered that they seemed to take him when he came, regardless of the appointment time.  I had a window to be out of the classroom and I was worried this would be the day the doc would run late.  I know he does caths at the hospital before appointments.  Well, someone beat us there and he was late, so I was feeling anxious.  He looked at the echo and said he had talked with several cardiologists and pronounced the results between good and very good. Next was taking his pulse and said, "Phenomenal pulse."  Last was a listen to his heart, "Sounds perfect," followed by, "Almost magical." It reminded of the leper who was healed in the Bible.  The disciples did not have money for the begging leper, but offered what they had, "In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk."  In Children's Church we sang those scriptures with the chorus being, "He went walking and leaping and praising God."  I was just about to do the same.  

But the doc kept going, about the cardiologists and the echo cardiogram.

About all the damaged places caused from what he referred to as the massive heart attack Handy Man never knew he had, the damage still there,  and it was very sobering.  It didn't change the good news, but what a very close call.

The doc also talked me through pulling off one medicine after another.  Handy Man  and I were both happy to hear that.  I'm glad we can start this process while he is in cardiac rehab were he is carefully monitored. 

We had a funny moment when the doc accidentally brought in the EKG results from that first patient that beat us to the appointment.  He said, "Just talk to the pacer people about his pace."  Handy Man and I looked at each other curiously. I'm like, is that what he calls the rehab nurses?  He saw our faces and said, "The pacemaker people."  I said, "He doesn't have a pacemaker."  He apologized profusely and found Handy Man's result and laughed and said, "Yeah his beat is off by one 2000th, not a problem." "He doesn't need a pacer."

I asked about work and light duty and he said at his age, lifting over 50 pounds should be over regardless of his heart, but otherwise, he could do his job.  Handy Man was glad to hear that.  I guess the boss wasn't and said he was on light duty till the inventory was done. Pooh! 

So, a sleep study, and see the heart doc in three months.

Handy Man is thrilled to be free. It will be a very long time, I am seeing, before I can turn this watchful eye off.  

So friends, this could be the last news you have of Handy Man's miracle heart for sometime.  

God Bless everyone of you who've kept us in your heart, mind and prayers.