26 October 2014

Reading Room

Old NFO has a new book out.

Get it for your kindle here, or if you prefer the hard copy, here.

25 October 2014

A Chill Is In The Air

As Autumn rolls in with its cool days and chilly nights it's getting about that time. Yes, you know what I mean...SOUP SEASON!

So without further ado, here is my recipe for stupid easy chicken corn chowder:

4-6 slices bacon
1 clove garlic, minced (I use the kind out of the jar. Stupid easy, remember?)
2 cans 12.5 oz chicken breast, drained
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 can 29 oz mixed vegetables, I use Allens Veg-All large cut homestyle veggies
1 can 15 oz whole kernel corn
2 cups heavy cream
Dash of nutmeg
Salt
Pepper

Fry the bacon crisp in a 10" cast iron skillet. Remove from pan, leaving the grease. Saute the garlic in the bacon grease for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook it until it is hot and falls apart. Add the 1/2 cup flour and stir until the flour is completely mixed in and the liquid is absorbed.

Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and stir until smooth. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a soup pot. Add in the rest of the chicken broth, mixed vegetables and corn. Stir until smooth. On high heat bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent burning, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally.

Add the heavy cream and dash of nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix ingredients, then continue to simmer on low heat for 10-15, stirring occasionally, until heated clear through. Serve hot with biscuits.

19 October 2014

It's Official

This was waiting for me when I got home. I have been transferred from USN-FLTRES (Fleet Reserve) to the retired list, so when I sign my name USN-Ret. it's completely correct now.


I must admit that I am somewhat curious as to why it took so long to mail the certificate and letter to my house, but what the heck, it's done.

15 October 2014

Lets See How This Works Out

Youngest Son's biological father wants to contact him.

With his permission, I have passed on the phone number.

Youngest Son is upset that it has been 15 years. I told him that maybe it took that long for him to pull his head out of his ass and to be polite, respectful and give the man a chance to explain himself.

We will see what happens.

Last Port Of Call

Tomorrow we pick Pop up and take him to Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell FL, where he will rejoin his wife and his only child.

14 October 2014

Brief Interlude

We're having a bit of liquid sunshine here in the Sunshine State.

Grandson's football game is tonight. I sure hope the lightning goes away soon.

08 October 2014

A Ray of Sunshine

We have finally gotten everything clear to get Pop to the crematorium, we are waiting for the coroners signature and then we can finally lay him to rest. This has been more of a nightmare than this simple paragraph suggests, for a variety of reasons, but it is done now.

One of the things we had to deal with was a next of kin. Since Pop did not have a living will that we know of designating a next of kin we had to contact his sister out of state to make some phone calls and sign some papers. We have been searching for various papers at Pop's house as well, with varying results. We suspect that some of the papers were in a safe that is believed to have been stolen along with his household electronics.

But there is at least a little relief. It seems that one of Aunt D's many children was Pop's estate planner, and he called Eldest Daughter as soon as his mom told him the news. He has everything we need except the will, and he has verified that one was done after Mother In Law and Laura passed, so the executor of the estate is going to be either me or Eldest Daughter.

We have a safety deposit box key, and our hope is once we locate that box we will have located the will as well. That is my project for tomorrow.

I swear that I will not put my children through this. First thing when I get home I'm calling an estate planner and getting all my ducks in one row.

UPDATE: The safety deposit box is in the same branch of the bank he used there in town and Eldest Daughter is on the list to access it. I like easy.

04 October 2014

Passing

The inevitable has happened. Middle Daughter called early this morning with the news, Pop has passed without ever regaining consciousness following his stroke.

He was a heartbroken and weary man, when Mother In Law died it took his heart and when Laura died it took his soul. He is with them now, the two people in his life that really mattered to him; his heart is at rest and his soul is at peace.

Farewell John Donald Primavere, thank you for letting be a part of your life, if only for a little while.


02 October 2014

Fisher House

Reports of Pop's demise are somewhat exaggerated.

He is not well, he has suffered a stroke, but he has pulled back from death's door. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess.

So while he is in the hospital we are staying at the Fisher House right across the parking lot.






 This is a really nice place.

The story behind Fisher House is in 1990 Pauline Trost, wife of then CNO Admiral Carlisle Trost, approached Zachary Fisher with an idea to establish places for the families of veterans to stay while their vet was being treated on an inpatient basis at VA hospitals.

Zachary Fisher was a construction magnate who had a strong affinity for the military, even though he was medically disqualified from service himself. Most notably Zachary Fisher was instrumental in establishing the Intrepid Museum Foundation which resulted in the saving of that ship from the scrappers to be turned into a museum.

Being the patriot that he was, he and his wife Elizabeth wasted no time in founding the Fisher House Program, opening the first two Fisher Houses at Naval Medical Facility Bethesda and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. At present there are 64 Fisher Houses at various locations, the newest one in Gainsville FL.


I will certainly be remembering their generosity.

Dying Of The Light

I got the call a little over an hour ago, Eldest Daughter is on her way to Gainsville. Pop (Laura's Dad) is in the hospital and not expected to last the night.

Pray not for recovery, but for an easy passage. Pop is a heartbroken and weary man, he has buried his wife and his only child and he deserves peace. He will not rage against the dying of the light. He will ask it why took so long.

Goodbye Pop. Say hello to my favorite mother-in-law.

And tell Laura I love her.

01 October 2014

La Belleza Pelirroja

Happy Autumn!