Author: Julia

I am a retired software solutions architect. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for over forty years. We have a 12-pound dog, Nox, who we love dearly. She has been with us since 2009. We went full-time RVing for 3.5 years and saw much of the United States. We bought a ranch house on a hill in the middle of five acres. We are working on creating our homestead. I love cooking and enjoy sharing recipes. I am also an artist and I’ll share my current projects. Reading is my favorite hobby.

Bruce’s Dad

January 21, 2026 Bruce’s dad passed away in his sleep this morning. It was good Bruce got a chance to be there. I would like to thank everyone who kept us in their thoughts and prayers. Your outpouring of support helped so much during this difficult time.

Bruce Made It Safely to Jekyll Island

January 20, 2026 Update: Later today Yesterday, Bruce called a little after 9:30 PM. He was taking break from driving. He asked if I would be awake for a while. I told him I had planned to stay up until he made it. He said that he had about an hour and a half to […]

Bruce Leaving to Say Goodbye

January 19, 2026 Last night, Bruce called his younger sister and they talked for a while. As Bruce came to bed, he said, “I hoped that helped her some. It seemed to.” I said, “I hope it helped you as well.” His reply was so sweet as he held me. “ You’re what helps me.” […]

Update on my Father-in-Law

January 18, 2026 Bruce and his siblings had a confence call with my father-in-law’s doctor this morning. The doctor was very straight forward about what was happening. Bruce said the doctor was brutally honest. Bruce’s dad’s heart function is at 15% and almost no lung capacity. His body is shutting down. Bruce’s dad has not […]

My Father-In-Law Has More Setbacks

January 17, 2026 I had hoped to be able to share good news about my FIL. I am saddened to share it is not looking hopeful for a recovery. His cognitive functions are decreasing. There appears to be three options right now. Hospice care at home, a hospice care facility, or a nursing home. The […]

Nox’s Bloodwork Results

January 17, 2026 We got the bloodwork results from Nox’s visit to the vet and additional information. Her liver function has returned to normal! Yay! She is on the edge of kidney disease. We are now feeding her prescription dog food in hopes of preventing it. The vet also looked at previous X-rays and determined […]

Picture of Juneau in Wild Sunflowers Made It Safely Home

January 11, 2026 Today (Sunday January 11), my friend’s, Jeanne from ajeanneinthekitchen.com, early birthday present arrived safely. The Mailing Box did a great job of packing the picture so it would arrive safely. Jeanne said it took her almost 1/2 a hour to unwrap it. Here is the framed picture unboxed! From her text, I […]

Bruce’s Dad Had a Set Back

January 11, 2026 On January 10 (Saturday), during the night, my FIL made it out of bed and fell. It didn’t appear to hurt him. All Saturday, he was dazed and confused. He was also very agitated. He was cold, yet kept throwing off his blankets. His speech was slurred and he appeared to be […]

Southern Twist on Hortopita

This recipe is an extreme modification of the recipe from the cookbook “Ikaria:Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forgot to Die” by Diane Kochilas. I don’t know that she would even recognize it. This was a great way to change my leftovers from New Year’s Day into something new […]

My Father-in-law’s Condition Is Improving and Our Busy Week

January 9, 2026 I waited to post until I had good news. My father-in-law has had a struggle to recover from his latest medical problems. He had been in a lot of pain and fortunately the pain is reducing. He was able to start eating soft foods today (January 9). Solid foods pose a choking […]