Vocabulary Words, and a Contest!

Gratuitous Mom photo. I was struck by how her clothes matched the scenery. If she were a little further back on the horizon, you wouldn't even see her!

And now, a little vocabulary lesson for the day. Caveat: Before AD, Mom never swore, ever! She would give us the Mom evil eye when we did, too.

Snicky. As far as I can tell, this means dirty. As in, It's all snicky, after the dog walked on the floor with muddy feet.

Oh, shittlefackle. I'm pretty sure she was meaning Oh, fiddle faddle, she often said that.

You snotfart! We were goofing around, and she called me that.

Picklefucky. At Thanksgiving last year, we played a rousing game of Monopoly while Mom colored. We finally wrapped it up around midnight. Mom stood up, sort of plucked at her shirt, and said, "I'm feeling all picklefucky." We laughed until we couldn't breathe anymore and then laughed some more.

Pittypat. It originated in a DQ with my sister, Mom was bothered by all the pittypats on the floor. I think it was bits of napkin, and the paper covering on straws. In my family, this has come to mean anything you want it to mean, and can be substituted anywhere in a sentence, or famous quote, or song lyric. Some examples: I went to the store and forgot to buy pittypats. Friends, Romans, pittypats, lend me your ears! Oh, I come from Alabama with a pittypat on my knee. Happy Hallowpittypat! You get the idea.

Oh, I just had an idea for a contest. Leave your best use of pittypat in a sentence in the comments. Multiple entries are encouraged. The one that makes me laugh the hardest, wins a prize. I don't know what yet, but a prize appropriate for the winner. Handspun yarn, a felted neckwarmer, a handknit something, a batch of peanut butter cookies, a print of Alzheimer's Art? I'll leave it open until next Friday, 7 am Central Time. Spread the word, if you like. Make me laugh, people!

ETA: I've decided to offer up the Polypay roving pictured on Monday's post if a spinner/felter wins, will spin it up as close as possible to winner's specs if a knitter/crocheter/weaver wins, and will fall to plan D if a non-fiber enthusiast wins. Not that I actually have a Plan D, yet.

Art of Alzheimer's

Mom was doing some decorating. She saw an empty nail, and ran with it.

Those scrubby things are great for playing catch. They move slow, so she can catch it, and they are soft so it doesn't hurt if you don't. That is more for my benefit, because she throws hard! She laughs the whole time.

If I have two of them out, watch out. They usually go under her shirt (or she stuffs them in mine), and she does her best Mae West impersonation, strutting around with her chest out, again giggling the whole time.

Life is always interesting with Mom around!

Heaven on Earth

I got a care package the other day from a friend in California. She knows that I don't have a Trader Joe's anywhere near me, and that I miss spicy food because Mom doesn't like it. The care package included candied ginger, chile spiced mango, and these little nuggets of heaven.

Thai Lime & Chile Spiced Peanuts. I can make a fairly bland stir fry that Mom will eat, add a few of these, some diced chile spiced mango, and a tablespoon or so of Coriander Chutney to mine, and we're both happy. These are great as a snack too. Tangy, salty, crunchy, with just enough heat to leave the lips and mouth tingly. Mmmmmmm!

Mishmash Monday

Or, what we did this weekend.

Mom slept late, so I snuck some dyeing in.

Specs: App 12 oz Polypay roving, using three colors of Gaywool dyes in three different dyepots.

While the roving was cooking, I finished a shawl on the tri-loom.

Specs: 7 ft tri-loom, yarn is handspun one ply white alpaca (Laser Fine, barn name Peach Boy), one ply natural 50% merino/50% silk, then dyed with Gaywool dyes.

It still needs to be fulled.

Then we baked peanut butter cookies.

I did the mixing, and Mom helped with the rolling into a ball and smooshing with a fork. As you can see, she is really good at the smooshing.

The recipe is from a cookbook called Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers. I inherited it from my aunt Mary Anne, Mom's sister. Some people want the crystal vase, or the jewelry when it comes to inheritence. Nope, I want the cookbooks. This one was published in 1963, which makes it 3 years older than me. I love reading the handwritten notes that are made next to her favorites, or seeing the dogeared pages, and wondering what recipe on that page had interested her.

Actually using the cookbook can be interesting. Some of the ingredients require a little research. For example, oleo? That one took a while.

Cud chewing time

I was obviously interrupting.

Caring

Mom has a small collection of stuffed animals and toys that usually sit on her nightstand in her bedroom.

Every once in a while, I find one on my pillow.

Like this.

And this.

I always get a little choked up when I see them. It makes me feel like she is sharing them with me, to bring me comfort. That she is still the mother, still caring for me instead of the other way around. Or at least that is what I choose to believe.

Excuse me waitress, I need another packet of sweet and sad sauce.

More Art of Alzheimer's

A study in form, color and texture.

Or maybe she was just hungry.