Good Morning Everyone, just got back from grocery shopping, we needed food in the house bad. (that is what happens when we eat at home all the time.) We had rain all day yesterday and through the night, no snow though.
Been busy sewing and will make more snowflakes today inbetween laundry. Plan on making the SB Taco Slow Cooker meal and the meatloaf with the cheddar in the middle, both sound good. My freezer is bare of pre cooked meals.
Gayle, I am attaching pics of my projects, I love the snowman and the ornaments will go out with cards this year.
Marie, yes I admit it I am a CheeseHead. I take it you lived in WI.
Karen31, hope her leg is OK, I know I worry when things happen to our girls, Pella is going on 12 and she has days when I think how much longer than other days, she has lots of spunk.
Rie, hope you are alittle more relaxed about your dad. It is a lot to take in all at once. Now he has to want to take control of things to feel better.
Well, I am going to go get my food ready, then on with the day.
Chickadeee... do you crochet the ornaments or do you buy them pre-made? They're GORGEOUS... look like such a lot of work with teeny hooks and thin thread! I hope they're appreciated!!
Hokay. Stayed under 1200 calories all week, and had 40+ grams of fiber every day. Yesterday's calories were only 847 because I didn't have breakfast, but will probably end up on the high side today because I made us some blueberry buckwheat (high fiber, tho...) pancakes with turkey sausage for brekkie this morning. Used SF maple syrup. I can't say what weight I might have lost (ate right for a week - big deal, right?) because I shall NOT step on the scale until it seems likely that I won't be devastated with what it has to report.
Oh, yeah, K3. Too young-looking to retire, eh? Not happening, trust me. I'm sure they can't wait for me to leave so they can bring in two people for what they pay me. That's the problem with older, long term employees....merit raises every year and then it's no longer cost-effective to keep them. S'okay by me - I can't wait to wave goodbye! There's a group of women I eat lunch with when I'm in the office, and I'll likely have lunch with them every two or three months, but the rest of that operation can't be history soon enough for me!
Gayle, last year we did the artsy, all-bare-branch tree made from twist big branches that we found out in the woods. Twined little white globe lights all through it, a couple of gold bead garlands and a few big, bold ornaments and called it a day. WE loved it, but the kids didn't, so this year we went a little more traditional. I found a tall, narrow pre-lit (all little white lights) "pencil" tree at Target, and we've got it done up in gold and bronze ornaments. It's pretty, but you know me...I prefer being different, so although I like this one well enough, I truly loved last year's. Oh, ADORABLE pics of your lil' grandbaby! What a cutie-patootie she is!
Oh, Carol Sue - good luck with the surgery! I hope all goes well for you!
Isabella - I know you're enjoying your visit with "Boo". If I recall correctly, he's about the same age as my lil' twinnies?
Mary, having your neighbors move after so many years of closeness must be very hard to deal with. I've really begun to see that life is about change...some changes come quickly, others evolve over time, but nothing ever stays just the same. For some reason, all of us human beings like to find our own little niche where we can be comfortable...and then we get so comfortable with it that change is a real challenge. I'm sort of leaning towards change as change - neither good nor bad, just different.
Red, I'm pretty appalled at what young people are doing to themselves, as well...the pill popping, the all night (all weekend?) raves on the college campuses...and just some of the pictures I see them post on FB...I've always been something of a rebel myself, but take some degree of comfort in feeling that our generation (mine - I came of age in the 60's) rebelled against valid social problems - the draft, segregation, etc. Now, young people just seem to be behaving like animals simply because they lack any concrete values that might translate into meaningful protest. I guess that's why I am sympathetic to the Occupy movement - they're protesting against real inequities in society and 99% of the wealth being in the hands of 1% of the population who continue to manipulate the system to gain more for themselves and take more away from the middle class. I don't honestly see how any of us 99%'ers can find fault with protesting that! Oh - about smoking. Yeah. It's about health. The years I smoked have definitely led to these annual bouts of bronchitis that I'm plagued with. Perhaps I'm lucky I stopped when I did and it's bronchitis and not lung cancer?
SO sorry about Blizzie, Marie! Oh it's so hard watching animals that we love suffer with health problems! I hope that your weekend with your little Maddie at least cheered you up a teensy bit.
Oh, and poor Sissie, CaddyK! Thank goodness these pets of ours have such good "mommies".
Tummy tuck, Rosey? <perk> Any chance that doctor would do two for the price of one? I'd be glad to pay my own way to Alaska!
Snow, PT????? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Nooooooooooooooo. Please say that it won't move eastward!
OMgosh, K3! Those baked apples sound awesome!!!!!! I'm going to definitely be trying those! (Yum!)
Great idea for your dad's Christmas gift, Val....more even, than the games themselves is the inherent promise of spending time with him playing them. Very thoughtful and perfect, really. You are a lovely daughter indeed!
Freda, every year my daughter and her bff gather their husbands and children together and take them out caroling. They always make our house their last stop because I have cocoa and goodies for them, and always give each of them a little gift bag with candy and little stocking stuffer kinds of things in them. Never any trouble with the girls...they are 9, 10, and 11, and love little bangle bracelets and little lip glosses and such. The boys, though (except for the twinnies, of course) are 9, 11 and 12, and what on earth can I put in their little bags? I'm clueless! So, I sure do know what you're talking about with growing-up grandsons.
Oboy, that stinks about the car repair bill, Lynn. Hope that's the end of it!
Okay, here are a few pics...this year's Christmas tree, and the twinnies playing with dh ...trying on his costume hat, playing the drums in the den, and "riding" in the clothes dryer (NO, we don't turn it on with them in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They just like sitting up in there - we have the stackable washer & dryer and the dryer is on top)
Have a good day, GG's!
Z
Okay...PS...I'll put the pics on FB. It's just too hard to get them all resized to post here. Grrrrrr.
Jess, thank you, but those are Free Standing Lace that you do on a embroidery machine. You can set it up and let it go, and go do housework while it finishes them. I love it. But I do appreciate the ones that are handmade as well. I use to do them, but not anymore, this way is user friendly.
,
Quote:
Originally Posted by jess1
Chickadeee... do you crochet the ornaments or do you buy them pre-made? They're GORGEOUS... look like such a lot of work with teeny hooks and thin thread! I hope they're appreciated!!
Well, yesterday at the tournament, I ate, drank (to excess) and was very, very, Merry! Today my aching back and knees are reminding me that 12 hours+ on my feet and playing was a lot. I am pretending that the cheeseburger and onion rings (you know - good ole greasy hand made giant burgers with the works) just didn't exist. Also, the multiple glasses of wine that I consumed. I ran a doubles tourney then a singles and had a good time. The counts aren't in yet but we are clearly over $1000 in money and toys that we raised. In a couple days we will take pictures to publish in the regional pool magazine.
I don't know anything about dad today. Radio silence from that corner. I am just going to try to accept it and let it ride for a while.
Chickadee, we have blustery wind and fine powdery snow on the ground. It is really cold. I need a couple things at the store but I don't have the heart to make ds go this morning. I really liked the snowflake things. So cute!
Donna, I am glad that you are feeling better! Over a year ago, the drs told me that my knee had to be replaced and very soon. They encouraged me to work out to get stronger so it would be more successful. A year later I can walk for 2 hours at a time and work out. I sometimes have really bad days, still, but the excercise really helps me. I think your routine is helping the muscles and the stiffness of the joint. I am so glad!
CaddyKaren, I hope that your little sweetie is better soon! It is so hard because they don't speak english :
Karen, I loved the Miss Ott story! How was the parade? And what, exactly is pasta salad on a stick?
Gayle, I am glad that you have a little christmas tree. I didn't put one up one year and I regretted it. Good job on having new routines when your dh is gone. You are making fantastic progress!
Rosey, what did the surgeon say! Sometimes I think about the surgery but I plan to wait a couple years after I get to goal. I still have a long way to go. My arms bother me more than anything else but I will have to wait and see. I hear that the arm scars are pretty excessive so it is a difficult decision.
Marie, it is football day! I really want to take a walk outside despite the bitter cold. I just think that I would feel better if I would move some this morning. But, then again, I hear the pregame show on in the other room .
Isabella, Safe Travels!
Red, I am also interested in what folks over their think of us. There is lots of talk over here about that.
Carol, I know that you are scared but it is so great that you will be able to have the surgery soon. One more step on getting back to normal!
Lynn, your story reminded me of my gma and her ability to take care of problem service people. She would put on her best "little old lady" demeanor, stand in a public spot within the business, and just shame them into giving her a good deal. I used to marvel at her ability. Of course, she always kept me in reserve (the loud, trouble making, don't-you-mess-with-my-little-gma voice) She was so funny! Complain away!
BTW all, the "check engine" light, is not always something serious. Most often, it is related to the gass cap, or something simple like the oxygen sensors. On fords, especially, it is not something to worry about. If the light comes on, then goes off, then comes on again, it is concerning. But if the light comes on and stays on, make them show you a diagnostic report before you allow them to do any work. The best strategy is to get the diagnostic report at one place and always do the repairs somewhere else. (speaks the former race car driver )
I am so sorry about everyone that I am missing this morning. Just really tired and I need to get the pictures from the tourney edited and posted on FB. I will be back later.
We didn't sleep well last night. Zoe, We were thinking about all the changes we've had in our lives starting the past few years (esp since 2007). Joe has had a lot on his plate (and therefore on mine too!)...the house issue, his broken leg (still not quite the same), his eye problem and now this house again big time..the fact that our own house needs so much repair and yes even our good neighbors leaving. I think it is all taken a toll on him. And we know we may have to make some decisions about our own housing before long. And so much depends on what happens with the house in AZ. Our son has no clue....
But its way too easy to focus on the problems, isn't it? And I guess these are things old people talk about. But after we had talked a while we began to count our blessings, focus on what we have, not what we don't have and that we are together and mostly healthy and to think of the way things may actually turn out positively with the house etc. So we came full circle and ended up thanking God and feeling happy before peacefully falling asleep sometime after three am. We overslept and didn't get to church but we do have a service esp for seniors tonight and plan to go to that.
We finished decorating the house and tree today and it looks nice. No presents under it yet. Not sure we are buying for each other this year as we both realized we don't really need anything that we could afford to buy each other anyway. Maybe we'll shop together after the holiday and find something or maybe we'll just save the money for something big we'll enjoy more later on. We are hoping our oldest son will be here Christmas Eve so I'll wrap their gifts and put them under the tree.
Rie - Sounds like you had a good time...sometimes good times are worth paying for a little the next day! LOL Our car is a Ford and the check engine line comes on and off. Yes I think that's what it was, the oxygen sensor before but this time that hasn't helped. But it's been doing this for years now and so far still runs fine.
Chick - GFY having pre-cooked meals in your freezer. Always wanted to do that when I worked and I did sometimes but mostly never managed it, but it's such a good idea. How's your hand? Hope it's healing ok.
Slmn - I don't think eggs are that bad...I say most foods are fine in moderation. I eat 2 or 3 a week not counting what I occasionally put in recipes. Sometimes I use one whole egg with a couple whites but not always. I don't eat hard boiled eggs much just because I'm too lazy. Seems easier to break and scramble to me. I also use the butter-flavored spray or a little bit of Smart Balance to cook them in.
Hi to everyone I missed, and I hope you all have a good evening!
Just a quick run through. Car's packed. I'll be leaving after breakfast tomorrow morning. Sliced a chunk of flesh off my finger today. Ouch when it happened but no pain now. Zoe, Boo is about the same age as the twinnies. He'll be 3 in March. Have a good week everyone.
Worked all weekend. It was one of the better ones. Nothing much went down and i actually got to do some good. Sometimes I get remineded why I became a nurse. One thing did happen that was kind of yucky/funny. we were sitting at the desk charting, and one of the physical therapist was standing in the door talking to us and one of the patients son, around 50 probably, came up behind her and put her arms around her, called her baby, and kissed her on the ear. we thought she knew him, untill we saw the "deer in the headlights" look on her face. My, he did now know who he was dealing with, a bunch of "old" nurses! I bet he doesn't try that again any time soon! Too funny!
Rie, Hope your DD is doing ok. It's hard on anyone, to find out that they have serious medical problems, but especially Older independant men like him. Some times losing weight will help with the sleep apnea, but not always. My brother is very fit, exercises 5 days a week, and still had to go on Cpap.
Karen, Hope your little one is doing ok. My Benny, in one of his wild moments, was running around and hurt his leg and limped for a week. He forgets he is an old guy sometimes. Kind of like me. Some days I feel every moment of my age and sometimes I forget how old I really am. I'm supposed to be the older, wiser, next generation? Heaven help us all!!!
Red, I'm so glad to hear that you are still not smoking. My mom smoked for 50 years and she was a chain smoker. Quit cold turkey and now she is one of those reformed smokers who thinks it smells terrible and is just "so messy".
Gail, How adorable your little GD is. And good for you for finding something to enjoy, instead of eating, in your free time. I so agree that management needs to work on the floor, or at least ask someone who does, before they change policy. Some of the things that they come up with, we just look at each other and laugh!
Karenfl, I had a teacher in nursing school like your HN. We all hated her, she was so MEAN! But she would give us what she called "love notes" which was actually information that I kept in a note book and used for years. It would still be valid today. She upset me so badly one day when she commented that I would never make it as a nurse. The comment was made because I had to go pee very quickly as soon as class was over. I can remember that now, when I go for hours with no time for a bathroom break.
Isabell, Have a safe trip. I'm very reluctant to see you go, remembering that you disapeared for months the last time. Stay in touch, and have fun.
Donna, Now you know why we exercise. It just makes you feel better. if I go too long between workouts I get so stiff and weak. Have you gotten up to your goal of 3 min. yet? Are you back to 100% yet?
Z, The twinnies are getting so big. And so handsome! I love, love my pre-lit tree. The kids were over last week and we had the tree decorating party. Just the traditional hot chocolate and cookies. My tree is not one of the beautifullly decorated ones. I have some really beautiful, expensive ornaments right in there with the marshmallow men that the kids made, and one that my son made in kindergarden. Handpainted projects that they have done also. Makes it very interesting.
Everyone, have a good day,
Freda
Chicka, I love the croched snowflakes. I have a tree full that I made years ago. When my fingers were still able to hold that little needle and thead. I should have continued to crochet and maybe my fingers wouldn't have gotten so stiff! Mine need to be restarched, they are getting a little limp. They are really pretty with a little glitter sprinkled on too.
Last edited by the slim me; 12-05-2011 at 08:34 AM.
Well, days off over ~ back to work today. Four day stretch. I dislike when it gets time to go to bed that last night off ~ knowing that my fun time is over. Hopefully we will have some good days and that I get off on time ~ that makes it a little more tolerable.
Freda ~ unfortunatly it wasn't the management that mandated the removal of my table. It was the surveyors. The table was too close to the door to the stairwell they said and therefore a safety hazzard. So is the copy machine, but there really is no where else on our unit to put that. My boss understood my frustration, but can't do anything to help me. I did find my table later, in the patient dining room, and as long as they leave it there and don't go getting all rediculous and say it can't even be there ~ I can go get it when we have an admission and use it and put it back when I am done.
I've kept trying to think of ways to fit exercise in to my funky schedule. I wish I didn't have to bother, but know I need to, so the quest to find a routine that works for me continues. I tried getting up early, but that was not consistent, because if I did not sleep well during the night, I hated to give up any part of my opportunity to sleep. Trying to do it after work didn't work out either, because I could not count on always being able to get out on time. My latest plan is to break it up into smaller chunks of time. They say that still counts. So, I am going to try to walk 10 minutes in the morning (outside or on the treadmill depending on the weather/temperature) ~ I don't have to get up all that earlier to do that. Then I want to ride my bike for 20 minutes after work. That had made my back hurt before, but I figure if I do it in the evening, then will be going to bed after while, the rest will take my back ache away. If it is raining, in the evening, or too hot, maybe I can do the time on the treadmill or something.
I wasn't planning on starting with the exercise today, but all of a sudden ~ had a few spare minutes and wanted to. I probably looked kind of silly ~ but I don't care. Put on a jacket (over my jammies walking shoes, had a little radio to listen to and set the timer (it was sprinking, so I used an umbrella) and circled around my driveway for the 10 minutes. I did it this way because, I felt that if my legs/knees started hurting too bad, I wouldn't be far from home if I needed to stop.
I am looking forward to the bike ride tonight (and feel like even if I get out late ~ I could still fit in 20 minutes). There are Christmas lights up around the neighborhood (it is dark by the time I get home) and some of the little side streets even have it set up to where there is Christmas music playing.
Ok, fun time is over ~ gotta head out to work. Thank you all for listening to/reading my ramblings.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Thank you everyone for the good wishes for my surgery. I will be in the hospital for at least 10 days so if I'm not back by Christmas.....well we won't talk about that!
We still put up a Christmas tree. I have a whole attic full of Christmas decorations. I have 2 artificial trees, a green one and a white one. I alternate between the green and the white, and I have a different color theme each year. So I have boxes up there labeled "red tree" "silver tree" "purple tree", "gold tree" "blue tree" etc. One year I had a "candy tree". The garland looks like gum drops strung on a string. All the ornaments look like candy....candy canes, hard candy, all day suckers, cupcakes, gingerbread house, etc and we made gingerbread men and women and painted them. This year I bought a few more candy ornaments and we are putting up the candy tree since my grandson is now 3 YO, old enough to appreciate it. He will probably try to eat the ornaments. My surgery was originally set for the 16th, which would have put me in the hospital over Christmas. We were not going to decorate at all. But now they moved the surgery up to the 9th, so we will put up the tree. If someone comes to visit I will at least have a tree and cookies. Have to stop at the wine and spirits store for the wine, which I will probably not be allowed to drink. I want to be like Rie, eat drink and be very very merry! LOL
One thing I am looking forward to is seeing the same nurses I had with the first surgery in June. The nurses and aides were so nice and I got attached to some of them, being in there for so long.
I was doing a little impromtu group this morning so I conducted a little "focus group" for you of 12 yrold boys. Here is there list:
Itunes or amazone gift certificates for tunes (99cents)
playing cards
super balls
gum
cheap "nerf" like toys
old fashioned bubble gum sport cards
movie passes
colored shoe laces
sports stuff like key chains or cups for favored teams
portable jump drives (for computers)
$5.00 bin at walmart for games/movies
gift certificates for game sites like Bigfishgames.com
silly putty
I hope this helps. I couldn't resist and I didn't have any ideas for group. They thought it was fun. Remember, these are poor kids but I suspect that boys are boys. They also said that they like the "dumb" toys like the balls that connect to a paddle with a rubber band and slinky's, etc. They said that they pretend not to, but play with them...
Good Morning
Chick, me too. Lurking is about all I get done, too many things to do and so little time.
Quote:
I have been back to lurking, you guys are so busy it is hard to keep up. So, I enjoy reading the goings on.
Glynne...love the pictures of little Evie. She is adorable. I'm a sewer too, right now I'm collecting old jeans to make a blue jean quilt.
Carol Sue, I don't know how you found this information on my two bears so easily. I had the bears to a roadshow that was in the area, he thought they were worth a couple hundred each. I'm happy to see that value is twice that much. No, I don't want to sell them. As to removing some of the fat while having surgery, seriously.......ask him. Good luck
Quote:
I'm so glad I could help. I did several Google searches, with the artist's name and "bears" "green bears" etc. Each time I would get a list of websites to try. Some of them had so much stuff on them that I could not find your item when I scrolled down. Then I got lucky with this one. Would you sell yours? Or are you just interested in knowing the value? And on the subject of tummy tucks, I keep asking the doctor to do one on me while he has me cut open. Just cut off a big glob of fat. How hard can that be?
KarenFla...you crack me up as usual! I'm going to try your apple thingie.
Quote:
. My diabetic husband would eat dog poop if it was wrapped in apple anything.
KarenMo...hope Sissie is okay today.
Marie...I didn't know Explosion 18 was available, I'll have to check the library. I have the Vista on my computer, don't have too much trouble with it. Just irritating things like copy/paste...Have to go the long way around to do it.
Donna...good question to Red about what the Japanese think of Americans. I was wondering the same thing.
Red...what's the average temperature in Japan? Good job on not smoking.
Freda...Your tree sounds like mine! My most treasured ornaments are things DD made when she was small. I have a empty spool of thread wrapped in green felt and a pipe cleaner stuck thru it to hang it up. I get warm fuzzy feelings whenever I look at it. She made the worst shaped paper mache wreath that hangs on a door that's priceless.
Quote:
I have some really beautiful, expensive ornaments right in there with the marshmallow men that the kids made, and one that my son made in kindergarden. Handpainted projects that they have done also. Makes it very interesting.
Zoe...will you and DH be staying in your home after you retire? We've been downsizing for the last 5 years. I've been selling lots of collectible 'stuff' on ebay. We only had one kid, Tiffany. She doesn't give a rats behind about collectibles, would probably sell all if it on a rummage sale for a buck or two. When Charlies gone, we'll get serious about selling our country home and move into town, condo or assisted living apartments. DH says no way but if we move, I'm only doing it once.
Speaking of moving, yesterday we had Danish Ebelskivers at my brothers house for his birthday. Both brothers and sisters were there. One sister said they've moved 36 times. We've only moved 5 times until we purchased this home we're living in now for a total of 6. I'm curious how many times you Golden Girls have moved since marriage/divorce/widowed?
Now I've goofed off enough, no big plans for today, maybe will start taking the blue jeans apart for the quilt.
Anyone I missed, sorry......I'm burning sunlight.
Rie...hope your dad is behaving himself.
Bobbi, my DH & I have been married for 29 yrs this coming March, moved into our home two months after we were married and have been here ever since. The way the house is set up we can eventually just use the main floor and shut off the upstairs if we get to the point we cannot do the stairs on a daily basis. Or if needed the upstairs could be changed to a studio apartment for live in help. While my DH grew up moving many times, I only lived in two homes as a child. To him it is just a house, to me it is my home.
Rosey - I like PT/Zoe's idea of a 2 for 1 surgery; even better, how about a 3 for 1 surgery? I'd happily make the trip to Alaska, too!
CK - how's the baby this morning?
SamCat wanted to snuggle all night, which means he pulled my hair and woke me up... a lot. At 4:30, I gave up. My eyes are like sandpaper, and I could be cranky if provoked! Nothing to report. It's COLD. We got a little more snow last night, but it's clear now. And that's it. Hope you all have a lovely day!!
We overslept and didn't get to church but we do have a service esp for seniors tonight and plan to go to that.
