Waffle Talk - Double Batch

After another waffle-less Saturday, I'm back. Sadly, I spent last Saturday at the memorial service for my dear friend. We've been friends since high school and were very close. Just when I was recovering from the shock of her death, I spent three days at the hospital with my mother, who has emphysema. I won't go into all the physical (sleeping on the sofa in the hospital room) and emotional challenges (mother didn't want to stay in the hospital and had more than one meltdown, pretty much directed at me and the pulmonologist). My sister Debbie helped out immensely with getting my dad to and from the hospital and staying with him at night - all this on top of a full time job. She also provided comic relief. I spent yesterday grocery shopping and cooking for my parents (they don't eat enough) and helping my mother figure out her medical equipment. The pictures here show what happens when I'm AWOL from home for a few days. After a couple of nights of good sleep, I think I can tackle this.

I'm cooking today. A double batch of blueberry waffles. One for my parents to freeze and just pull out and toast for breakfast this week. I'm going to make chicken spaghetti - Pioneer Woman's version. Go to her link at left, and check out her cooking section. She has the most amazing and simple recipes!

My mother is a picky eater, but she likes this (without the bell peppers).

After an extremely challenging week, I'm feeling relieved, optimistic about my mother's health (now that she's finally commited to quitting smoking) and more confident about my ability to handle extremely stressful situations.

On to the laundry and the kitchen counters and sink...