Your support needed - again please

Angel11_2

Hi Julia

Just wanted to send you and Tony a huge hug. I know we haven't spoke in a long while - haven't seen you in longer. This is going to be one of those hurdles in life. Hope the twins are well.

If you need a shoulder then pm me and I'll call you or come over.

Karen :A

dancingfairy

Hi MOT - sorry to hear your latest news - just when things were hopefully settling for you. I can't offer much advice I'm afraid but I know how strong you were before and how much of an inspiration your twins were and that you will cope - somehow.
Sorry to have to suggest this but it might be worth making sure IT has an uptodate will and you know where his important documents are and checking who will be executor I know you will not necessarily want his money but you need to make sure it goes to who he wants and not the governement Just to make things a tiny bit easier if the worst does happen.
Also funeral arangements etc - what he would like - then you won't have to be guessing etc and can make sure his wishes are carried out.
I hope you two get some more time and can have some wonderful times - that holiday sounds a good plan. I just wish there was something we could do.
Take Care and be Strong.
df

mumoftwins

Hi all,

Sorry I haven't been back on recently, I will be back on soon to give you the latest.

In the meantime thank you all so much for all your good wishes,

Love MOT xx

ampersand

Bonjour Julia - left you several msgs from France[don't think they all worked,comm.s v. dodgy from where I go, as you know] - just back not 24 hrs yet.
Have been thinking so much about you all. Tried to contact you again around 13.30h yesterday - will try again today. No platitides for you, just love and propping and silly talk and laughter...also many Mr T vouchers bullied for twins again, if they've not outgrown this sort of thing.

Happytogetdebtfree

So sorry about your news, hugs and positive vibes sent your way xx

anniestar

Hi MOT I am so sorry to hear your awful news.
Try to stay strong.
Give your delightful twins a huge hug and send IT all the love in the world.

Take care,

Loads of love,
Ann xxxx

Karmacat

Hi MOT

I just found out about this - I was a lurker on previous threads, I'm so so sorry to hear about IT - lovely man. As Jinky said, even if being positive doesn't help in the outcome, it will help him in what he's going through, it really will. I hope help on here, and the counselling, will give you the strength to be positive when you need to be as well.
xxx

ampersand

A couple of days back, I made a clunking mess of a Thought Diary for Tony.

Now I realise it belongs right here, so obviously, in the Thread begun by Julia.

I know she glanced in briefly yesterday and today we all need to channel our prayers and love and silly moments and supportive thoughts, however ineptly put, their way.

Because my first attempt was so clumsy, I'm copying the 'gift-tags' left, to here.

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Yesterday, 11:25 PM #2 pattiemay


MoneySaving Stalwart

Join Date: Apr 2006


Post Count: 222


Thanked 76 Times in 47 Posts

What awful news. Although I read most of the original posts from mumoftwins, and followed the trials and tribulations, I must admit I lurked and never posted. My heart goes out to them, I have no words of wisdom despite going through the same with my mother several years ago. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

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-and from Caterina:
Hi all

Following Ampersand's request for positive things to dedicate to Julia and Italian Tony and your requests for the pasta recipes, I think it would be appropriate to dedicate the following recipes to them. The dough recipe is the same, but the cut of the pasta and the dressing are different:

Italian Tony's zucchini and zucchini flowers gnocchi

Make homemade pasta dough: You can buy the special Italian pasta flour for this, which is a type of flour made with hard wheat, or just use extra-fine plain flour. We used around 700 g (1 1/2 lb) for 8 people.

Make a mound with the flour on a wooden board (or table) and a hole in the middle. In the hole break 1 large egg. Start mixing in the egg and flour and as it starts amalgamating add water, a little at a time, until you have a mass of soft but not wet dough. Keep mixing and kneading the dough until it feels quite elastic. If you pinch a small bit and squash it between thumb and finger it should stretch easily. (up to now the recipes are the same, from here they diversify).

Roll the dough into a large sausage shape and start cutting slices off it, then roll these slices into long thin sausage shapes, no more than one cm diameter (less than 1/2 inch). Cut the thin sausage shape in morsel pieces, also no more than 1 cm long. Strech each of these small pieces of dough with your thumb into a shell- like shape (you got to see it done to fully understand it - the idea is to thin out the inside and give it a rounded, thinner shape - hope you get the idea!).

Sprinkle some flour on a clean cloth and spread on it all the rolled out pasta pieces (the name is Gnocchi - but do not confuse with potato gnocchi which is something quite different!) to dry.

While the pasta dries a bit, chop an onion and a few courgettes (zucchini) and a few zucchini flowers - these you can only get if you grow your own zucchini or if you have a friend with an allotment! If you don't, zucchini alone will be ok. Put a lot of oil, and I am talking a lot, like a CUPFUL of olive oil in a pan to heat, then sautee` onion and zucchini until soft. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta in very abundant boiling salted water, it is ready when it comes to the surface, but make sure you keep tasting it as you do not want it too hard or too soft - "al dente" is the ideal but do it to your preferred consistency.

Drain pasta, cover with zucchini, mix thoroughly and serve at once. You can dust with grated parmesan if you like but we loved the flavour of the fresh zucchini alone so we did not put any.

Julia's pasta e ceci

This requires you to have some cooked chick peas in advance - you can also use tinned chick peas if you want.

Make dough as above.

When ready, instead of rolling into sausage shape, cut in quarters and cover 3 of the 4 quarters with a clean cloth.

Take one of the quarter and place it on the board, where you will have sprkinled fresh flour to prevent sticking. With a rolling pin stretch very very thin, as thin as possible without breaking.

Sprinkle flour on the stretched pasta and fold into itself so it is loosely rolled. Cut strips out of the roll making sure you do not press the roll too hard (again, you need to see it done, hope I am explaining it clearly enough). Open the strips you cut into noodle ribbon (tagliatelle) and place them side by side on a clean floured cloth to dry. Do this until you have finished the pasta dough. Let the ribbons dry on the cloth while you prepare the chick peas.

Sautee` a few cloves of garlic (quantity according to your taste, we use loads but some people only like one or two just for the flavour) in a cupful of olive oil, salt to taste.

Bring water to boil in a very large pan and add a shot of oil in the water to prevent the ribbons to stick to each other. Add the ribbons when the water is boiling hard. Cook until they come to the surface. My friend said that the tradition is that when the pasta appears on the surface you say a prayer, then the pasta is ready (but she did not remember the prayer - I suppose a brief blessing would be enough!). Drain the pasta and mix with the chick peas. Serve at once. Some people like to add freshly ground pepper to this dish.

Buon appetito and best wishes with all my heart for Tony and Julia!
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Please add your moment for Tony, Julia and the twins, as you can -

ampersand

Hello Tony,

Found Tony McCrum's 'No Worries' a few moments ago - don't know if you've read it as another in the Oz canon, but expect it with shortbread v.v.v.soon.

For some reason, strong thoughts of you as I spotted bulrushes on the way back from Bar Hill today[they weren't; I was - it's a night for misrelated participles like no other.]
I'm going to try and forage a few; they looked handsome...ah, so THAT'S why you came to mind:D:laugh::kisses3:.

mumoftwins

Had a visit from Ampersand y'day which was lovely , she is such a kind, caring person - thank you for your help B.

Been to visit IT in the hospice, steroids are giving us a false impression of wellness. He is being assessed this week and they will be bringing him down on the steroids so we shall have to wait and see how he is.