If you read Mike’s column in last week’s newspaper, you’ll know that he got injured at the Blackcat football game on Nov. 29.
Well, to be more specific, he ended up with a broken shoulder and what we’re pretty sure there was a concussion even if he doesn’t exactly remember it.
He recently saw a shoulder specialist and the break was clean, so, all he has to do is keep his arm in a sling and mostly immobilized for anywhere from 6-10 weeks.
Such a restriction puts us squarely in the New Year before we can even peek at the possibility of physical therapy or whatever else the doctor orders.
I’ve spent the better part of my time working since the incident and you’ll probably see me out and about much more than usual as time progresses.
If anything, it’s an echo of earlier this year after he fell and broke his leg around Jan. 25.
I just keep reminding him that he has to be in better shape to help with the 2025 fair and rodeo because it’s a struggle to manage on my own.
We’ve been pretty fortunate this go around to have my sister Ashlee extending her Thanksgiving visit by a few days.
Unfortunately, that means she’s also conscripted mom into a holiday-baking frenzy that I try my best to pitch in to help whenever I can.
Or, that’s the usual aim.
With Mike out of commission
for events and meetings right now,
I’ve got the best excuse to not get my hands dirty.
Now I’m sure neither mom or my sister view it the same way, but I’m oddly OK with it and only miss my traditional recipes most of all.
See, mom and Ashlee have baked several dozens of cookies and other treats to make gift boxes for family friends.
I only have to help out in certain instances where a Kitchenaid stand mixer is a moot point and had personal plans to make a batch of pumpkin bread muffins to freeze and eat later with breakfast in the coming weeks when the mood struck me.
Plus, it’s the one traditional recipe that I have from my late grandfather Thomas Shepard – he had a heart attack in 2001.
Grandpa Tom wasn’t much of a cook or baker really, but this family recipe was one of his carefully guarded secrets and I even have his original handwritten recipe card.
In fact, I also have his “diabetic-friendly” recipe, too!
Sometimes I make one or both recipes depending on how busy I expect to be with work.
However, this year, I’m too busy to get it done myself and am trying not to let missing the annual experience get me down.
If anything, I’ll just have to trade out with mom and send her to provide newspaper coverage while I bake my favorite recipe and keep an ear out in case Mike needs something at the same time.
After all, I can eat a pumpkin bread muffin on the go much faster than having to stop for a slice of Starbuck’s famous version on the way somewhere.
Maybe I’ll use that as a selling point to mom!
