[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies! Already up in the high 70s but 2 thunderstorms are on tap for later today and tonight. Then down to the low 50s.

I'm doing a thorough cleaning starting today of my whole house so it will be ready for me to sit for a time.

Sandy swears by the Memory Foam pillows so I went and got one and my neck feels wonderful today. Another thing to take to Glory's .

Faye, tell Kelly hp from me, too. Do you just stir pumpkin into Fortune's dinner?

Jean, I know you posted on the other thread but for the life of me I've already forgotten what. A senior moment!

Maggie, having a good day?

Time to put the clothes into the dryer and start another load of laundy. Enjoy this day.

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is in the 30's and snowing here in the Hearland. Big beautiful flakes drifting down all over the land. Cecil went out the back door then shot back in so fast he was in the front room before he stopped. It was so funny for this is his frist snow I believe. Will got his stitches out today and now we have a 5 piece set of nice scissors and two tweezers in case we ever need to stitch a wound up when out and about. Each pair of scissors does a differnt job. One pair is one I haven't seen before for it has a hook on the end to get under the stitch. It would be great for Wills leather work when he needs to do some re-work for someone. They give the tools away here instead of sterilizing them to use again. I use the tools the dentist gave me in my glass work. Two of these scissors are of the locking kind. Actually they are locking forcepts ~ one straight and one curved. Anyway I'll put them with our camping gear. Always good to be prepaired. I will now round up some sergical thread. Well, I do have some silk thread that would work but I would like to have the "real thing." I already have lots of needles in diffrent shapes and sizes. I don't ever plan on sewing someone up but will be prepared if it comes a time when I need to do it. We just finished a good lunch. I made grilled cheese sandwiches with some really tasty high fiber bread. I ate some chili peppers and grapes with it and Will had dill pickles and olives. In my panini maker I just put the cheese between the bread and then spray the bread lightly with butter flavor spray then stick em in and close the top and voilla ~ yummy low fat grilled cheese sandwiches are ready in just minutes.

SUSAN Thanks for starting up a new thread for us this day. You are a lot warmer there than we are here. I am glad you found a pillow that works for you. Mine is down and Will uses a foam one. When the bed is made you can't tell the difference but it is good they make so many that we can get one that works best for us. I have heard good things about the Memory Foam ones. It is good that you get your place ship shape before your operation because it will be awhile before you will be able or even want to clean.

JEAN & DONNA FAYE & GAIL Hope y'all are having a lovely afternoon.

Be back later.

[Jean]

Susan -- I exchanged pillows in the middle of the night last night. Bob likes his new pillow but I wake up and just can't seem to settle back in comfortably. Usually I'm fine after the first night, but not this time. I'm going to look for a Memory Foam one and see what they are like. Heck, I can't remember what I wrote last either! You will enjoy having a squeaky clean house to come home to. I hope you can keep in touch from Glory's house. We will be thinking of you!

Maggie -- Please keep your snow! It's supposed to get down to 11 tonight. I can just picture Cecil see his first snow.

I'm off to watch the news and head for bed! See you all tomorrow!

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers! It's supposed to warm up to 43 (from 9 degrees at 6:30) this afternoon, so I will patiently wait. The sun is out and there is NO wind so far, and that's good. I'm meeting a few of the crafty gals for lunch and then have a late afternoon open house for the business that just moved into the other side of Bob's building. I'm going to call Nelda and see if she would like to go.

I have the dishwasher going and need to start a load of laundry before I leave. Have a terrific Thursday and enjoy your day!

[gma22]

Good morning gals. Ok, who the heck thinks it is funny to send their cold weather down here????? It was in the 70's yesterday and it is in the 30's now. Thank goodness it looks the trip will be mosting in the high 40's to love 50's with no snow. I won't have to worry about slipping and falling or worry about Jack and his knees.

I was in so much pain last night I ended up taking one of Jack's pain pills so now I am dopey feeling. I want to clean downstairs today and tomorrow so I am ready to do all the stuff I need to for the trip over the weekend, including making the boys their cookies.

All my Swiss Colony stuff came yesterday so we have it now. Jack had a tiny sliver of cheesecake last night (I knew he wouldn't stay out of it) and said it tasted good. Even if I weren't staying away from sugar I wouldn't have eaten it, it has coconut in it, bleck!!! I had ordered things of sugar free stuff and it will last me for weeks and weeks and weeks. I am allowing myself a treat once in awhile and that is it, but I did sample the peppermints and my favorite at the holidays the cherry cordials and both of them were very good. At a pt apiece you can't go hog wild, but it does give you a little sweet once in awhile.

Susan: When I make Fortune's food I use my huge fix and mix bowl from Tupperware I have had for years. I cook 3 lbs of ground sirloin and crumble it up as much as I can, then fix a box of uncle ben's brown rice, which is about 4 cups cooked and I puree my canned veggies, 4 cans of carrots, 2 of beets and 1 spinach after rinsing the salt off of them. If I am using pumpkin or sweet potato, which you cannot get canned without the gunk on it, you have to cook your own, btw, I just add it into the mix then I mix the whole thing with my hands until it is well incorporated and then bag it in zip locks, 1 serving per qt bag and freeze them. He eats it right now with no problem. He gets several protein type treats during the day because he gets a treat when he does his business outside so all in all he gets enough protein then the other stuff he needs from the veggies and brown rice. It is easy to take with us as I keep it frozen and put it in a plastic container and put it in our ice chest when we travel then always stay in a room with a fridge and transfer it and let it thaw. Except for initially he gets rice on the floor, which by the time he is done there is nary a kernel, it isn't messy at all.

Maggie: I do not envy you snow, that's for sure. I love it, but with my bad knee it is so scary for me. I have slipped and fallen several times, even several years ago when I weighed some less so I am really leery of winter weather. I found the fat free cheese actually does melt in a grilled cheese sandwich and I make one and have tomato soup. I like to dunk my grilled cheese in my soup, yum! It is a low pt lunch and I get my starches, my veggies and my meat all in one shebang and with a pear or apple have a nice lunch. I noticed last night my pears are ripe again and I am glad since I just ate my last banana yesterday.

Jean: Hope you have a nice time with your crafty gals at lunch and the open house goes well. I have a memory foam pillow I bought at Walmart of all places several years ago and I love it. It squishes where I want it to squish and it stays cool or warm depending on the temp of the room so I don't sweat on the pillow, which I did before. It is lovely, but be prepared, they "ain't cheap!" I think I paid about $50 for mine.

Well gals, sitting here is not getting anything done. Hope you have a grand Thursday. Tonight is Burn Notice night so I hope I don't miss it. I fell asleep last week and then missed the early Sunday morning rerun. TTFN! Faye

[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

It is a chilly 46 degree windy day here in the Heartland. The snow we got yesterday didn't stay on the ground through the afternoon. Soaked in which is a good thing. We don't have snow in the near forecast ~ just wind and cool temps. I have all the windows with the copper paines in them wrapped. A couple of the windows are as small as my little fingernail and it sure makes me glad I don't have arthritius in my fingers because wrapping those are a challenge enough. I will get the rest of the building copper wrapped around the glass piece edges this day and solder it together tomorrow. That's the plan. Will has gone now to stop by the docs office before his volunteer job. The museum director offered him a full time job but Will doesn't want that for he already has a job. He has been asked to be the chaplain for a hospital in the next town so he will do that volunteer work. Last evening we couldn't find Cecil anywhere. After awhile he came walking out of Will's office all sleepy eyed. He had found a place to hide in there from the dogs and humans and had a nice nap. It was cold and snowey so we didn't think he had gotten outside. I am so glad he has the dogs to play with and stays off my glass table. I don't need my little pieces batted around. I noticed a apple crumb pie has been put in our fridge. Guess our guest went shopping. Tonight we are having tacos for dinner. I put lots of veggies in them. The heater is on and it sure feels nice here in my office/shop.

DONNA FAYE Don't slip ~ don't fall. That must be a horrible feeling falling and you can't catch yourself. I've never fallen but hyper extended my knee one time getting out of a vehicle and it took months to get back to exact. I don't like ice but the snow I can navigate in pretty well. But by the time I needed to go outside it was all melted yesterday. The grass was just wet so I walked carefully across the yard. We toyed with the idea of putting a brick walk down but then we would have to shovel it and put non slick stuff down. I got a chuckle out of Jack eating a small sliver of cheesecake. Will has done that before and I do believe it is a man thing. They need to "test" it before serving it to guests. Now sometimes when I make a dessert I make a tiny one in a glass bowl so he can test it that way. Sorry you woke up with so much pain you had to pop a pill. Nice that you had something in the house to take for it.

JEAN Have fun with your friends at lunch. Do you eat at someones house of go out to eat? The open house thingie should be fun. I like to see what a new place is all about and if I will use their services or buy their goods. They usually do serve coffee, tea and treats also. No wonder we find it hard to lose during this season. All those offerings of food out there.

SUSAN & GAIL Hope you are safe and keeping warm this winter day.

Type at y'all later. I am off to wrap some glass.

[Jean]

"Gma" -- Maggie and I are most happy to share our "cool" weather with you! I'm sorry you were in so much pain last night, but glad you got some relief from the pain pill. I thought of you as I was eating cheesecake this afternoon . . . white chocolate, strawberry, and coconut. I couldn't taste the coconut but saw it so knew it was there. Fortune's food sounds good enough to be people food!

Maggie -- It's nice that Will can serve as the hospital chaplain. I'm sure his services will be appreciated by everyone he visits. We usually go to each other's homes for crafty club, but the hostess ended up having major plumbing repairs going on in her bathroom so we met at a restaurant. The open house had lots of goodies to sample so our trip there ended up being supper. Every once in awhile Ernie will disappear and we can't find him. He's so big that he can't hide just anywhere.

I'm going to catch the news and head off to bed. Tomorrow I'm going to vacuum and clean out the litter box for Nelda.

[gma22]

Good morning ladies. Today is Jack's and I's 39th wedding anniversary. The years sure have flown by. Seems like yesterday we were walking down the aisle and now our kids are grown, our son is almost 40, we have beautiful grandsons and our life together is wonderful.

I have to finish up the sweeping and mopping and cleaning the kitchen and then I am done with cleaning except day to day stuff until we get back from Thanksgiving. I have a ton of errands to run tomorrow then will bake cookies on Sunday to take for the kids. I am so glad we aren't dealing with Thanksgiving dinner this year. It will be nice to just go in and eat and let someone else clean up all the mess. I am going to check with Alicia about making sandwiches for evening time since all the restaurants will probably close early and we are having a late lunch anyway.

I got my nieces yarn yesterday and oh my goodness. It is super bulky and hard as the devil to work with. I don't own any circular needles above size 11 so had to adapt the pattern as it was a bulky weight pattern and cast on and tore out about 5 times but finally made the darn hat. I put it on and it fit, but I hope it fits her and isn't too big. It won't be much too big because it fit me fine, but it is so heavy I don't know how she ever made a scarf with the stuff. It sheds too and I had yarn pieces all over me as it was a "furry" style yarn. So, it will go out in the mail back to her tomorrow when I go to the post office to stop the mail next week. My shoulders and hands hurt from fighting with the stupid stuff, but she has her hat! Thank You "Burn Notice" for getting me through it!

Maggie: I have a torn meniscus that gives me a lot of trouble, but I am not getting it repaired until I lose all my weight. It is a waste of money to do it at my size as it won't stay repaired. I pop my knee out when I slip and fall on ice so then it stiffens up of course and I can't walk on it. Thankfully, we have a walker out in the garage from when I slipped in a restaurant here in town several years back and messed it up even more so it can help me get around, but thankfully I haven't slipped and fallen in several years now. Glad you are getting your gift things wrapped up and done.

Jean: Fortune does scarf the stuff up I have to say and we haven't had anymore issues with the diahrrea and such. One thing I just found out is that pumpkin is a great digestion aid if a dog has diahrrea and I didn't know that. I might have saved a lot of money trying it first! I would have certainly bypassed that cheesecake, I dispise coconut, not the flavor, the texture. It makes me gag, literally. I love the flavor of coconut though like in drinks and such.

Well gals, I am going to go. I need to nurse a sore thumb that is bothering me as I sit here. I think I have a cuticle issue with it. Time to go to the nail salon and get acryllics. It always seems to help with that sort of thing. Have a good day and weekend all! Faye

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers! It's a "warmer" 34 degrees, but quite windy and cloudy in my corner of the world. I'm waiting for a phone call to go and vacuum for Nelda. I have laundry washing and need to vacuum my own fur bunnies.

"Gma" -- Happy 39th Anniversary! Being content and happy is a wonderful state of being! I'm glad you were able to get your neice's hat finished. You are a champ! I thought maybe your thumb was sore from all of your knitting. I like the way my nails look with the acryllics, but sometimes hate the process. The guy who does mine is fast, but when they moved into their new shop they eliminated the lights to work by, and use little fans to dry the nails. My hands were ice cold after 10 minutes of drying!

I need to get busy around here and accomplish a few things before I have to leave. Have a GREAT day and enjoy! day is getting closer!

[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

It is 46 degrees and "feels like" 40 with the breeze and is said to get way up to 63 this sunny day in the Heartland. We have a T party meeting this evening so we are going to get dinner from the gentleman who is a BBQ Champion that comes to town occasionaly and sells BBQed brisket, pulled pork and steak. So we will be getting dinner from his chuck wagon. Not much else going on here in this berg. I will be working some more on my house I am building. The cat just bounded in here like he was on a mission and jumped up and checked his food then was out of here in a flash. Didn't eat anything but was making sure it was still there I guess. Every morning I give him fresh water and fill his food dish and he eats when he wants through out the day and usually empties the little bowl. Beanie has stopped eating the kittys food now. The food list I was planning on making has shrunk considerably since we won't be having any guests this Thanksgiving after all. And I will make pumpkin pudding for the two of us instead of a pie to make it more program friendly.

DONNA FAYE Congratulations on another anniversary comming around. I hope you have many many more happy years together. I got a good chuckle out of your post to me about having all my gifts wrapped. I was talking about copper wrapping the edges of the glass pieces and not presents. The cut out glass pieces get copper wrapped all along the edges so there is a place for the solder to stick to hold the buildings together.

JEAN What a nice thing to be doing for your friend. You do know what goes around comes around and when you do such a kindness for a person someday someone will do one for you. In other words you reap what you sew and it is better to be sewing kindness isn't it. Sewing seeds of kindness. You go girlfriend.

I am off to work on my building now. Type at y'all later.

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies! A nippy 39 degrees today.

I got my Presidential Challenge newletter today and here is an excerpt I thought you might be interested in:

Striking a balance for older adults
We know it is important to maintain our sense of balance as we age, but how to go about doing this is less clear. A recent study from the Cochran Library sought to determine which exercise programs best aid older adults with balance. The research was actually an update of a study done in 2007, but this time around the researchers examined an additional 62 types of exercise. Of the categories tested, the following exercises had a positive impact on balance:

• gait/balance/coordination functional tasks,
• 3-D exercises (such as dance and yoga),
• and combination and strengthening programs (which included exercises across categories)

Cycling and walking, while beneficial to other aspects of health, did not appear to affect balance. Likewise, computerized balance programs and vibration plates were ineffective.

I thought that was very interesting and further support for weight training for seniors, yoga, and other things that strengthen your core. I bought a balance ball to sit on while I can't exercise. It strengthens your core muscles. They come in sizes - 55 cm for 5"3 and under and then 66 for taller folks. It was $8.67 at Walmart and it came with a foot pump to fill it so I got a little exercise there. LOL

Faye,

Happy Anniversary! My 39th was last June 15. Are you doing something special to celebrate? I'd eat Fortune's food in a heart beat - you don't have to puree the veggies for me, though. He's one lucky dog. I know you are anxious to see Jackson and have the whole family together again. You are a good aunt to struggle through making a hat with that yarn!

Jean, you are a very nice lady to help Nelda like that! You are always volunteering and I hope it is appreciated by all.

Maggie, I wish you could post some pictures of your village. I'd love to see it. You do such exquisite work.

I have cleaning to do so have a great day!

[Jean]

Maggie -- What all is in your pumpkin pudding? I think I would have to put it in a pie shell. We are glad to help Nelda since she has no family living here in town. Her two dogs and her cat are her "family." The dogs are pomeranians so bring leaves, and other things in on their long fur. I've never seen the cat since she hides as soon as she hears a strange voice. I hope you enjoyed the T party tonight.

Susan -- It's only supposed to get down into the low 30s tonight with a 30% chance of snow showers tomorrow. Thank you for sharing the newsletter article. Is that something we could get? We don't usually get anything at 30%. Will you just sit on the balance ball or are you going to do exercises on it? I've seen pictures of them but never have seen anyone use it. We are going to do some more volunteering on Sunday at church. It seems that most of the committee members responsible for the catered brunch are going to be out of town. Bob has to sing so will be there 45 minutes before the service, so I will go with him and help in the kitchen. We are only having one service because it is pledge Sunday; I'm sure we will end up helping clean up afterwards also.

Sunday night we are going to a program put on by a survivor of the airplane crash in Sioux City several years ago. Many people were killed but many survived. He was supposed to be on an earlier flight but waited for a coworker; then he traded seats with a lady so she could sit with her husband. Both the coworker and the lady were killed. Jason was in high school and detassling corn when the plane flew overhead. The important missing part of the plane was found in a field, next to where he was, that fall during harvest.

I'm going to watch the news and head off to bed. Have a nice weekend!

[gma22]

Good morning to you ladies. I hope all is well with you this morning. It is cool and clear here this morning but not terribly cold. I am going to be out and about doing errands this morning so I hope it warms up. I have to get to the post office and stop the mail starting Monday. You know I always give them a few days running start since the idiots obviously pay no attention to the stop notice. I have to go to Target and UGH Walmart and get cookies supplies to make cookies either today or tomorrow, go to Petsmart and make Fortune an updated ID tag with our cell phone numbers on it, go to McDonalds and get the boys their Arch cards then home again. I have to color my hair and then Monday is nail and haircut day and grooming for Fortune. Like I told my FB friends, Jack is responsible for his own grooming he has to work on Monday!

I am hoping the company has just screwed up and someone has not stolen my beads that I ordered. I am going to be down another 10 lbs soon and they were having a big sale so I bought some more and they were supposed to be shipped priority and it said they shipped them from Calf last Friday. So I figure if they actually got shipped the following Monday they should have been here by Thursday and haven't seen them. I had complained a lot because my account showed pending clear up until Friday morning then it said they were shipped on the same day I ordered them. Of course, no one will get back to me on any of it though I have tried multiple times to get an answer and a USPS tracking number for the priority package. Hopefully the will come today or I won't know anything until I get back from Indiana as we won't get anymore mail. GRRR!

Susan: Jack and I treated ourselves to a couple tacos from Taco Bell last night! We didn't want to go out to eat and eat a lot of calories and I haven't really felt up to it the last couple days. Sure will be glad when January gets here and I can get this stuff fixed whatever they do. I am about worn out from it all now as it has increased to an everyday thing. I told him absolutely no flowers, cards and stuff no use spending all that money as I know he loves me and doesn't have to spend $5 on a card to remind me. Not that I don't enjoy those things, but with the prices they way they are, even getting them at Krogers is a tank of gas to Indiana so we will just use it then! I am nothing if not practical. What a great article. People are all about weight loss with exercise, but for us Seniors balance and coordination are very important and they tend to be all about expending calories instead. Not that it isn't important, but not falling is important too!

Maggie: You know, I love the "play it forward" idea that started not long ago too, where you pass on your expertise to help someone else when you have been helped in some way. I am sure Nelda really appreciates the help and someday she will return the favor in some way. Anyway, what's a little time out of your day to help someone or do something nice? Makes me feel good so I get something out of it too.

Jean: I bet those dogs do drag in stuff because Fortune does and he doesn't even keep his hair long like it is supposed to be. I never liked the yorkie dust mop look so I keep him short as do most owners I am finding. They usually keep him longer than I do Fortune, but not to the floor coat. It has to be brushed and detangled daily that way and I am just not into that at all. Hope you enjoy the brunch even if you do help with set up and clean up. We always helped with all of that when we were at the church in Indiana. Usually it was the older ladies that did it and the older men put up and took down tables and such with a couple of the younger ones helping.

Well, I am going to knit on my sweater. I finished my sisters socks and even washed and dried them so they are ready to go now. I can now work on all my stuff for the cruise, at least for the moment. I have the back of a sweater done I did for my niece that she said she wouldn't wear, so I am going to finish it and give it to my best friend for her birthday in May as she is about the same size and this year I am going to make my dil a pair of socks. Except for the men, everyone has gotten socks from me but her. I am going to find a really pretty fall color sock yarn as she is half Mexican and that olive skin tone so I think fall colors would look best on her.

You gals have a great Saturday! Faye

[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

It is a chilly morning of 33 right now but will, as they say, get up to 60 this day in the Heartland. I am going to finish up the building that I have been working on this day. Just have to stain the solder back to coper color and wax it. It turned out well. The next one I am going to make is a cabin with an outhouse. I hinge the door to the outhouse and it is so very cute. Just a little one holler. Teenagers love that little outhouse and a gazebo I make that is also small. In fact last year when a lady had ordered 3 buildings made for her daughter the grandaughter was here and fell in love with a gazebo I had sitting on my table. I gave it to her and she took it home and stuck it in a drawer until her mother had opened her present at Christmas of the three buildings then she went and got it and showed it to her mother. Bless her heart for she kept the secret. The two smallest buildings I make for the village are the outhouse and gazebo. I will cut the patterns out this day and choose my glass. When I got up today Will and the dogs were gone and it was just me and Cecil home alone. OH, that cat. We just can't wait until he is old enough to get his front claws removed. He likes to use them too much. Way too much. Will just came in and has purchesed most of the items we need to make our Thanksgiving dinner.

DONNA FAYE We keep our dogs hair cut very short also. The groomer makes them look so cute. I am sorry you didn't get your bead order. Seems something is wrong some where with it. Taking much too long. I ordered something one time that was American made and it was taking so long I called and they said it was being shipped from China. "American made" shipped from China ~ makes sence to me. That is a great idea to have a dog tag with the 411 on it.

JEAN Pumpkin pudding is just the pie stuff without the crust which is loaded with points if it is a good one. I pour the pie mix into small pyrex bowls and set them in a shallow baking pan with some water in the bottom and bake them and they are so good and low in points. I use Splenda instead of sugar and beaters instead of eggs so it is a yummy low point dessert. That program of the plane crash survivor sounds interesting. He wouldn't be alive if you play the "what if" game and he hadn't changed seats with that lady. I imagine he is ever grateful along with feeling sad for that change in seats.

SUSAN & GAIL Happy day to you.

I am off to finish up that building now. Type at y'all later.

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers! Well, we've had our first icy winter driving experience for this winter. We left about 10 this morning, in rain, heading first to Bob's hometown to pick up the BEST peanut brittle made by the church ladies, then to Sioux City to pick up Maddy and Kolby, and on to Sioux Falls for Ian's birthday. We were about 20 miles from our first stop when we came over a hill and hit ice; the temperature had been dropping so wasn't too surprised. There was a sheriff's car stopped on a side road so Bob stopped to see what he knew about the weather further west. He told us to go home, so we did! By the time we got back the drizzle had quit but my car was covered in ice. I guess we will try and party next Saturday! We are in a freezing rain advisory until 4 this afternoon.

"Gma" -- I hope your shopping trip this morning was quick and easy. Did your beads come today? I placed an online order and immediately got a confirmation email, then a few minutes later another email saying it had been shipped with a UPS tracking #. That was 3 days ago, and UPS still says that # is "unavailable." It's nice that everyone will have personalized socks made by you!

Maggie -- Does Cecil crawl up your pant leg? It seems like every kitten we ever had did that, and their claws are razor sharp. My neighbor was telling me about tomorrow nights speaker saying he had to have a lot of counseling because he felt so guilty that he lived. I'm anxious to hear him tell of his experience. If you ever saw the live video it's a wonder anyone survived. The pilot has made many trips back to Sioux City over the years. Sioux City had just completed a mass emergency run-through and were better prepared because of it. We even sent firemen, EMTs, and equipment over to help.

I have ironing to work on so guess I will see if there is anything on tv worth watching while I do that. Enjoy the rest of your day!