[gma22]

Good early morning everyone! I woke up at 4, let Fortune out and fed him, and then decided to just stay up. My knees have been killing me because of this weather the last couple days and this morning my feet hurt for some reason. I did do a lot of walking yesterday and I had on flip flops, which finally fit since the swelling from water retention is going down little by little. I am sure they will feel better today, but my knees are going to have to have some tlc because they just ache this morning again. I hobbled around town doing errands yesterday and crawling in and out of the suv was murder!

Fortune looks all pretty again and smells nice too. He has a skin condition so I only have him bathed once a month or he scratches himself silly. I can't get down in the tub to bathe him myself as I have special oatmeal shampoo and he is too big for the sink. I am thinking though to take him to the vets with my shampoo every couple weeks and have them bathe him for me. It costs me, but it would be worth it to make him comfortable. They were laughing at him when I took him in yesterday. The vet tech who adores him said, "Fortune you look like you have been in a hurricane." His facial fur was all higglty pigglty.

I got the library card replaced and after 3 hours yesterday Jack and I finally figured out how to put the audiobooks I took out on my iphone. You have to download from library to our computer, down load the program they use, download special windows media security stuff, then you download the audiobook from the computer to the program, then download the audiobook from the program to the Iphone. I kept going round in circles with it and Jack spent an hour and a half and finally did it. Unfortunately, one of the books wouldn't download because they didn't have the license to download to an apple product and you can only take out three total ebooks and/or audiobooks at a time. Also, I didn't know how to give them back but finally found an answer at the library website after searching for at least an hour. They delete automatically at the end of the lending period, which was 21 days and you can't "send them back" any earlier so I am stuck with a book I can't even read. From now on, I will shorten the lending time I think just in case.

Since I had the car, we just ate out last night at Jason's Deli. Jack splurged on a cornbeef and pastrami sandwich, but I had salad. I don't particularly like the sandwiches at this place, but Jack does and it is close by. They have a great salad bar with lots of veggie choices, tiny sweet and corn muffins, little crunchy garlic rounds and even have strawberry shortcake sometimes. They have free soft serve ice cream, but we bypassed the desserts. I got a text from Kelly while we were eating as she got a new phone now that she is changing jobs. Her last day is on Tuesday and she can't wait. She hates where she works now, but has hung in there for a long time. She starts her new job with St Judes in their Alsac division Aug 1.
Anyway, she said we should come swimming that thomas is always up for it, so we went after dinner for awhile. They have done some lovely landscaping to their yard, which is huge with a lot of trees. Her mil, her husband's aunt and niece were there when we got there and we visited with them. I felt bad when we left because we asked Thomas where his mom was as her car was home. He said she was in her bedroom on her new blackberry and so I didn't have him go get her or even tell her we were there as I didn't want to disturb her. I think she was a bit upset when we were getting ready to leave she had just come downstairs. I wasn't trying to slight her, I just didn't want to bother her if she was doing something with her phone for her new job. I will email her later and explain.

Jean: We have the dreaded commissary tomorrow. Jack opted for that since they open later and we always try and go as soon as they open to avoid the crowds. Tomorrow is an off payday week though so shouldn't be a lot of people there. Fortune's flea and tick is put between his shoulders and it is oily. He tries to rub it off when I put it on and I have to yell at him until it dries. It is especially hard if he has just been groomed and since I take him to be groomed on paydays, I rearranged his flea and tick schedule so it would come the week before a payday and he would have more fur to hold it onto his skin. You put it down at his skin level, but it does seep into his fur and if he has just been groomed he doesn't have a lot of fur around his neck. I have some of those pretty red and yellow cherries I can't think of the name at the moment, but I haven't eaten any yet. Jack doesn't like cherries at all and they are one of my favorites, especially in pie. Oooh, pie, I haven't had a piece of pie in probably 4 months now.

Maggie: We had an elderly little mexican lady that used to make potato burritos when we lived in New Mexico. She would go shop to shop and I worked in a dress shop at the time and sell them at lunch time. They were wonderful. I am not a big burrito eater, but enjoy one once in awhile. Jack and I are keeping neck and neck at the moment losing. I have lost as of today a total of 35 lbs to his 32 lbs. I do have to work a lot harder at it. I can always tell when my hormones take a big tumble because I am starving all the time, otherwise I don't really get hungry.

Well gals, need to post this, sit and listen to my audio book and knit that sock!!! Have a great Saturday. TTFN! Faye

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers! It is cloudy, humid, and breezy in my corner of the world this morning. The weatherman had predicted "scattered" thunderstorms for the next week, and Ian starts 6 weeks of 2 baseball games a week. It will be fun trying to outguess the weather. We were up early this morning; Bob and Jason are on their way to MN to pick up a small aluminum fishing boat. It's just what they wanted so hope it lives up to the expectations of fishing with the grands -- mainly Ian since he seems to have the patience. I will be home alone for most of the day; my plans are to return library books, stop at the grocery store for what I forgot on my last trip, laundry, vacuum, and clean the bathrooms.

I've been watching the sunrise and sunset times the last few days and it finally happened -- the sun is coming up a minute later and setting a minute earlier. It seems to stay the same for a couple days and then will add/subtract a minute.

"Gma" -- You were up bright and early this morning! I'm sorry your knees and feet hurt. I've read, and seen on TV, where flip flops are the absolute worst thing a person should wear; going barefoot would even be better. Since I broke my toe I rarely go barefoot. I need more arch support, I guess, so never did feel comfortable in ff. I'm glad Fortune doesn't mind going for his bath and trim appointments; I'll bet he looks spiffy. Our "Mom" cat developed an allergy to something and she would lick the fur off her paws. The vet finally had us bring her in every spring and he gave her an allergy shot. Your audio book "stuff" would be way too complicated for me! I just have no patience figuring out technology stuff. What kind of job will Kelly be starting? Beth and Will have "smartphones" (I'm not sure if they are different from blackberries) and can do just about anything they want. Bob got a text message on his phone to update our's but our contract isn't up yet so doubt if we will do anything unless the price is really, really good. Hope your commissary run is a fast one.

I need to get dressed and head out. Hope you all have a nice weekend and enjoy!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Ok, the slippers are now dry so I took pictures so I could tell you all about each others slippers. Maggie, if you sent me your address it is lost in space and I looked in spam file and no go either. Sometimes stuff you send gets to me and sometimes not, so pm me a message here with your address. I imagine it will be at least another week before mailing anything. I have to get some big manilla envelopes to mail them to you and I haven't done any of that besides then I have to keep the car to go to the post office. Since I try to bunch things together to do so I don't have to keep the car all the time since gas is so ridiculous anymore, it will be awhile. I will let you know. They all still need a "haircut" as they still have fuzz on them which needs to be pulled off so they will look less hairy when you get them.

Jean: I don't really know how much a blackberry can do. I know it depends on what one you have. We have Apple Iphones which are smart phones and I love mine. I can call, text, get on the internet, play games, listen to books or read them, and then do all sorts of things with aps you can put on the phones, like I have a dotti's ap to do pts, I have a couple knitting aps that help with counting or with videos to show me how to do something I don't know how to do, I have a weight loss ap where I can keep track of my weight loss, and on an on. Kelly is going to be doing the same kind of job except for St Judes instead of a paper company. She works in IT and basically does business plans and stuff I think. So she works with computer programs somehow.


Ok, the first picture are Jean and Maggie's slippers. Jean's slipper is the pink and green and called Garden Party. I see Jean if she was rich as a lady working with Jr League and having garden parties and bridge parties and such! lol The dark green and red and brown is Maggie's and it is called Redwood Forest. Maggie is from California and she and Will seem to like the outdoors and such so I thought it was a good pick.

The other two are Susan's and Gail's. The blue and aqua colored ones are Susan's and called Beach Front and since she lives near the ocean I thought it was perfect for her.The orange colored one's are Gail's and called Sweet Shoppe. Gail is all bright sunny yellows and oranges. She is sweet and so I think it fits her.

I hope you like the colors I did for you and heaven forbid didn't use a color you absolutely hate! Have a good Saturday all. Faye

[Jean]

"Gma" -- The slippers are beautiful and I love all of the colors! The felting is really an interesting process which I had never heard of before I met you. I would be the "poor" lady in a Jr. League if we had one. There is one in Sioux City, and they used to come and help at the schools. I always thought of them as "elegant," but I was very young and impressionable back then. I'd say your character/personality assessments are right on target for all of us. I had to that you are giving them haricuts. Do you have to pay for the different apps on your phone or just download? My sister has an Ipad (?) and she was showing me her different apps when we were in MN. I need to go visit my computer guy and have him explain the difference and benefit of a laptop vs an Ipad, since I have no clue.

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is a hot one here in the Heartland ~ 101 it is and I don't want to do any yard work this day. The garden is getting enough water to keep it growing and the dwarf corn has tasseled. I got some real neat little individual egg poachers that are pliable silicone and will stad up when you take them out of the water. Got them from Bakers Catalogue. Their names are Casabella. Two chartruse colored and 2 ocean blue ones which are also microwave safe. I was just getting tired of boiled eggs all the time when we had them so wanted a change. Since I don't fry food anymore this will be a lovely change. On my shopping list I had Masa Harina which is corn flour I want to make corn tortillas with. It is different than corn meal. Anyway Wll came home with a bag called Harina which is white flour tortilla mix. A mix that makes flour tortillas that cost 4p+ each. My flour tortilla recipe is one that makes 2p+ ones. He didn't realize that there was a difference. So it goes back to the store for I don't want to use a mix. I wanted masa de maiz not masa de trigo. I just laughed and explained the differences in the flours and mixes. He has gone now to get some Masa Harina. Life is good. I need to learn how to use my tortilla press and corn tortillas would be good to experient with to learn the technique.

DONNA FAYE What a neat thing to match the slippers to us that way. I like that idea and commend you highly for that. No hurry in sending mine for I will use them in the cold months mostly. You make me home-sick for the forest. I think in September we will head to the Yellowstone for a nice trip. Where the trees are tall and talk to me. I have all the Blackberry aps I want and they didn't cost me. There are lots of free ones "out there." Mine is the Storm model. I have WW on mine which is a free ap if you have the on line program. to the two of you! What wonderful losses you have achieved. BTW I sent you a PM with my address per your request.

JEAN Nice day for you to get some things done around your place with Bob off getting that boat. I do hope it is all he has hoped for. What fun it will be. The eagles are fixin' to leave the nest any day now I do belive. Big as the parents it looks like.

SUSAN & GAIL Howdy to the two of you.

Type at y'all later time to go get some lunch.

[Jean]

Maggie -- The thermometer said it was 90 this afternoon but I thought it felt hotter when I walked out to get the mail -- must have been the cement driveway. I probably would have picked up the wrong thing instead of corn flour although there are several places around here, as well as in the 3 local grocery stores, where you can buy food with Spanish labels. Bob thinks the little boat will be just what the little kids will get a kick out of. He needs to get some oars for it just in case the motor quits although it shouldn't. He said it was too hot to paint so he came on home after dropping the boat off at the cabin. I'm not sure if we'll go up tomorrow or not -- it's supposed to rain.

Susan -- What are you up to today? You have been MIA and we miss you!

Gail -- I hope you are having a nice weekend. We miss you too!

[gma22]

Good morning all. Another early morning for me. Fortune's bathroom and food clock is set to 4 am now since Jack went to summer working hours. So, as he snores I get up with the "child" and do what needs to be done. No sense in both of us getting up and on weekdays he needs his rest, as I can always take a nap or go back to sleep.

Today is commissary shopping so we will be out and about around 9:30 or so. I don't have a huge list, but Jack says it will take an hour anyway. He surprised himself last payday as we were out in 45 minutes! lol

I now have the heel flap complete so will knit the foot and toe and be done with this other sock. I listen to my audiobook and get a lot done that way. If I just knit, it makes me sleepy!

Jen: Usually you can find little bags of masa harina (harina is flour in Spanish) right by regular flour. I think Quaker sells a brand of it. Masa versus corn meal is all about how it is milled. Corn meal is milled dry and is yellow usually, masa is white corn and is soaked in a lime solution milled wet and turns into a paste which is then dried into a flour. In Mexico they actually buy it as paste usually I hear. Basically, corn meal is coarse and masa is fine so the taste is different. One thing you have to be careful about with masa is age. It will take on an off flavor if you don't use it up fairly quickly. It isn't like regular flour or even regular corn meal it doesn't stay fresh very long. Knowledge compliments of a husband who grew up in southern New Mexico and a dil who is half mexican.

Maggie: Poached eggs are my daughter's favorite. I don't think I have ever seen her order anything else at a restaurant. I got your address and saved it thank you.

Susan: Miss seeing you in here. Hoping you aren't ill.

Gail: Always thinking of you my friend.

Well, my eyes are drooping so I think I will go back to bed for a couple hours at least. Have a lovely Sunday all. Faye

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers! It's a bright sunny day in my corner of the world, and not too hot (yet) at 79 degrees. No sign of any thunderstorms that were promised but the day isn't over yet. We went to church with another nice crowd in attendance. It's been fun to see people we haven't seen in a long time. The new pastor is a keeper for sure; you can just feel his enthusiasm. Bob left for the lake to work on the shed painting, then mow under the boat trailers which he has to move with the pickup. I'm going to wash some sheets that we don't use any more and start another SOS box.

"Gma" -- Fortune is like a baby who wakes up in the night for a bottle. You have spoiled him just a little which is A-OK! I don't know why but thought you hit the commissary yesterday. Hope it wasn't crowded and you were able to find everything on your list. I was going to ask how you got so smart about masa harina but see you gave Jack the credit. I am going to see if I can find it just to say I did, but would probably never buy it. When you finish this sock, what is your next project?

Ernie is bugging to have the window open; he doesn't understand the sun will shine on him and it will be hot until the sun moves around a bit more. When I get up to leave he will follow me down to the basement, then back upstairs again. I do need to get started on my SOS box. Have a great day and enjoy!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[QuilterInVA]

Good afternoon, ladies! I just got home from Moon VA where I was visiting my friend. It wasn't planned, just one of those do you want to come up for a couple of days kind. Her husband was gone for the weekend (they are the ones getting a divorce if they ever get their house sold) so we had a great time watching chick flicks and quilting. Their house is on an island and very isolated and I do worry about her being alone out there. The horseshoe crabs are hatching and for some reason they come out of the water and run all over - thousands of them all over everything. They really scurry and it's wierd because they all run the same direction.

I'll post more later but I've got to get to the grocery store and do some laundry first.

[Jean]

Susan -- I'm glad to see you today! We always worry when you disappear w/o notice. It sounds like you had a nice time with your friend. Do the horseshoe crabs come after you if you are outside??

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is another hot one this day fixin' to get up to 103 at it's peak and tomorrow 104. For some reason unknown to those who have lived here all their lives they cannot remember it ever being this hot or humid. It is very humid and that is in fact one of my most unfavorite things. Getting out of the Jeep for the short walk into the restaurant was like stepping into a steam room. UGH but I takes it as it comes because complaining about it will not change it one bit. We at at the Professors and I had soup and half a sandwich. I didn't feel like having a "meal" if you know what I mean. We went by our favorite place to get me a latte and Will a cole car and that is what I am happily sipping now. Life is good. The dogs don't want to stay outside much when it is like this. My morning shower is having a hard time lasting through this day. But I don't smell bad so that is a plus. The dogs are napping and Will is working on his lesson he will be preaching tonight and it is very quiet in this house. I can actually hear myself think. Now that's a scarey thought.

DONNA FAYE Yep that is what Masa Harina is all about. I dumped mine out of the celephane wrapper into a plastic jar with a lid and stuck it into the freezer. I keep those flours and grains in the freezer like my whole wheat flour because of the short shelf life. Freezing flours and grains extend the life much longer. I love having that big front opening freezer. One half of a shelf is holding my baking supplies.

JEAN Glad you like your new preacher. It is a good that you like him for you will probably get more out of his lessons that way. It may not rain and you can get out to the lake. Cats are like little kids and don't understand that the sun does bring with it some discomfort. Beanie followes me around all the time when he isn't napping. When it isn't so hot he likes to be outside with Will. Ole Ragg Mopp just hangs around. He is a hoot.

SUSAN Sounds like your friend lives in a place that I would absolutely love. Is she in danger living out there all alone? Guess there isn't much going outside with all those little crabs over everything. I bet they are fun to sit and watch scurry by.

GAIL I think of you daily.

All y'all have a wonderful afternoon. I will be back....

[Jean]

Maggie -- I have meant to ask before, but what is a "cole car" that Will likes? Ernie is the only cat we have ever had that doesn't lay in the sun. The open window is the attraction, not the sun. When the neighbor across the street hangs out her dog, who barks at every little thing and is hyper, Ernie keeps an eye on him. They are babysitting a black lab pup who cries, yips, and whines when he is tied up outside alone. I've been known to take 2 showers when it is really hot. I hate to think what our electric bill will be next time, but I'm staying cool!

[Maggie]

GOOD EVENING MAGNOLIAS

JEAN A Coal Car is very strong black coffee. Two espressos put in strong coffee without any sugar or cream. My drink has two vanilla espressos in strong coffee and has some splenda and Fat Free half and half. Real eye openers. So when I ask for a sugar free fat free vanilla latte I know that is what they make me. And they always know what Will wants. Turn didn't like to lay in the sun either. I don't think many cats do anyway. At least I have never had a cat that did. Mostly they just want to sit and look out at their universe. In your cats universe are two yapping dogs. Will is on "First Call" this week and just had to go out on a call. It all quits at 10 pm and picks back up in the afternoon at 4 during the week. On week ends it is from 8 am till 10 pm. He shuts the phone off when he is preaching and they allow him to do that. What could they do, he is a volunteer. It is almost 10 right now. This person got in just right under the wire.

Time to sign off for the night. Type at you tomorrow.

[gma22]

Good morning ladies. I am doing the this morning. Today is weigh in day and I have lost 7 lbs since last week. Now granted, part of it is water retention but I will take all I can get.

We got all the shopping done yesterday and the heat is dreadful. Our heat index was something like 117 yesterday. We were home by 11 and stayed inside except Jack fixed steaks and roasted asparagus out on the grill. We thought about possibly going over to Kelly's swimming but it was just too hot to even get out again.

The kids leave on their cruise on Sunday so Marty will be coming to visit on Saturday. It will be interesting with feeding time. I guess I will just have to put Marty outside while Fortune eats. I don't know how else to do it. Our bathroom downstairs is too tiny to stick Fortune in to eat. Ahh well, I will figure something out.

I am going to put the fabric paint on the slippers today so they have a no skid bottom then let them dry. I am going to hunt up and see if I have any of those big manila envelopes upstairs and see if the slippers would fit into them. I am a cheapskate and if I don't have to buy boxes for them all I don't want to. I know I don't have boxes to fit them all.

Maggie: I absolutely hate coffee so thinking about really strong coffee, I just never could get to liking the taste of it. Jack will drink it occasionally and used to drink it when he was in the Navy though their coffee you could stand a spoon in it and it would stand upright. We don't even have a coffee maker here in the house, just and iced tea maker. Jack grew up drinking iced tea and drinks it all the time. When I was a kid it was milk for every meal which I detest too or we did get koolaid back then. We rarely if ever got soda until I was in high school and then I would get one when I went to basketball games and such but that was it.

Susan: So glad you absence was just going and having fun. That's as it should be, we just get concerned about you because of your health issues when we haven't seen you in a few days. Sounds like you had a real fun time. Have you read any of the J A Jance novels with the detective J P Beaumont? I couldn't get the first one from the libray efiles so ended way down the line and mixed them up so I listened to a later one and the one I am on now, the first one I read the person was already dead and this one they just died. Anyway, I like them but the reader is atrocious. First off, he sounds like Jack Webb and the things he does when he does female voices, UGH!!! He also has burped on the thing several times, turns the pages of his script loudly too. Very irritating, but they don't have the books in ebooks just audio ones.

Jean: I have more and more socks to do. I have another 2 pairs for birthdays and both the boys socks for Christmas. I am making theirs the same this year. I also have to make another pr of slippers for my friend to go with her socks. THEN, I am going to finish my sweater I started several years ago for our cruise. The color is this great celery green and I am making it hopefully so it will fit a smaller me by then. I am so glad the new pastor seems to be popular. Nothing worse than going to church and being bored to death.

I think my first load of laundry is done so need to get them in the dryer and get the sheets washed. It is bed changing day. Have a super duper week this week. Talk at you later. Faye

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is fixin to be another hot one this day ~ 104 ~ so just keeping an eye on the garden so it doesn't fry. The dogs are at the groomer and will come home smelling so nice. I haven't a clue what I am cooking this day but it is early yet. I cut up some fresh peaches and have them in the fridge with some grenadine on them which will be yummy later. I plan on playing around with my tortilla maker today to get the hang of the technique on how to use it. I'll start with a half batch of the recipe because I don't want to mess up the whole dozen. I think I will probably always just make half recipe so as not to have to deal with the leftovers. Around Christmas time I am going to tackle making some tamales. I learned how to do that by sitting in a friends kitchen and making shredded pork, shredded beef and plain just cheese ones. There were several of us working and we made dozens and dozens that day. Gigi was from mexico and knew how to do it for sure. Home made are the very best. There was a gal that sold them in Wal*Marts parking lot December before last but I didn't see her there this year. Maybe they chased her off. BTW I showed a maintain : this day at weigh in. And here I thought I would show a loss but my thoughts aren't always what happens. So I am very happy to have it. Onward and downward I go ever so slowly.

DONNA FAYE there you go losing in chunks again. You go girlfriend. You will surely make your goal before vacation time at this rate. If the bathroom isn't big enough to feed your pooch in is it big enough to park the other dog in while yours eats? It surely wouldn't hurt him to be in there for that short time. I guess liking coffee is an aquired taste but I don't remember when it was when I started drinking it for real. Long time ago. I drink good coffee black and my latte is the only jazzed up one. I don't remember drinking soda when I was a kid either except my Mothers home made root beer. She made batches of it and had a bottle caper thingie. We had milk for meals also delivered to our door early in the morning. Believe me I do know what the Navys coffee tastes like.

All you wonderful Magnolias ~ have a great Monday! Type at y'all later. I am off to play with my tortilla maker.