[gma22]

Good morning gals! It is supposed to be spectacular today nice and warm and sunny. We have had so much rain and cloudy weather that I crave some nice sunny days.

Susan: Sure hope this new dr can get you all sorted out. It will be nice for you to have an improvement in your quality of life. Have you had asthma a long long time or is it adult onset? Let's just say you probably won't be able to play professional baseball with your medications! Have you had a lot of trouble with weight gain and the "moon" face issues? I know most people taking steroids have that issue at least at first anyhow.

Jean: If it isn't one thing it is another with your mil it seems. I know you have to really be chomping at the bit to finish school. I believe the kids around here took their T-cap tests last week. I used the asst principal's bathroom the week before when I had clinic and she was in sorting and reading stuff for t-cap. She had piles of stuff all over a table. We had lots of vomiting kids yesterday so I was busy sending kids home. Had a poor boy with a separated collarbone who was in pain and we can't give him meds so his mom got his grandma to come and give him something. Another one with a toothache as he had dental work the day before then an obnoxious kid who spilled something on his pants and didn't want to wear what I offered. I gave him a choice, it was that or nothing and he straightened right up when I wouldn't go through every pair of extra pants we had. Here is this poor boy in pain with his collarbone and the little jerk wanted to take up my time hunting for a certain pair of pants like he was at Macy's or something. I have had this kid in there before and he is this little know it all. I always dread seeing him. Didn't get to see my T boy yestereday though so the day was a downer for me. Don't know where his class was as they never came by for lunch. Maybe they were running late and I left before they went to lunch.

It is the upstairs for me today so I imagine I will get started in just a bit. I am going to have some toast for breakfast before I get started.

Have a great Thursday all! Faye
PS: If you love to read, you need to pick up the book by Glenn Beck called The Christmas Sweater. This has nothing whatsoever to do with any of his political leanings, but is a semi autobiographical story of his childhood. WARNING: This is a two kleenex box book and is superb!

[QuilterInVA]

Good evening, ladies. Nice day - supposed to be up to 90 Sunday.

I went to Curves after work and now I'm tired. But Grey's Anatomy is one tonight so I won't be going to bed too early.

Faye, I had asthma since I was a baby. It was pretty good for a long time but has really gotten a lot worse the last couple of years. I try really hard to stick with my menu for the day, but some days the Prenisone makes me so hungry I feel like I have to eat NOW. I have a bit of "moon" face but not too bad. I'll look for the book.

Jean, I'm sorry your MIL is doing so poorly. I do hope she improves.

I have an appointment with the Chiropractor tomorrow for my neck.

Have a good evening.

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! It's been a gorgeous day in my corner of the world. My outside/inside house thermometer said it was 98 degrees outside. I know it was not that hot! The car said 83 on the way home from school and that's more like it. Bob is going to see if there might be a "reset" button somewhere on the outside thermometer dodingus. He thinks when the leaves come out on the trees the sun won't shine directly on the thermometer.

Tomorrow is Beth's birthday, and 31 years ago we had snow! I don't feel old enough to have a daughter that old.

We get out of school at 11:30 tomorrow and I'm hoping to go and buy flowers to plant outside. Maybe they will get planted before the rain this weekend. It seems like every time we buy flowers it gets cold and they sit in the garage for awhile.

We are supposed to go through MIL's clothes for the laundry lady to pick up. Bob talked to the nurse and they plan to release her on Monday. So much for her plans of going home tomorrow. We did go visit and her thought processing still isn't going in a straight line from point A to point B. They have changed her level of care to "swing" bed and had to have Bob's approval to do so. They have her up and walking the hall because she needs to be able to get herself to meals once she is back in her apt.

"Gma" -- I'm guessing the smart aleck kid just wants some one-on-one attention. I know we have high school kids who fake headaches, aches, and pains in order to visit the nurse. It's too bad you didn't get to see T while you were working the clinic.

Susan -- I hope you get to feeling better! I'm glad you got to go to Curves after work, since I know you enjoy it. Will one treatment from the chiropractor fix your neck or will you have to go back?

I am heading off to bed. Have a nice evening and a FANTASTIC Friday tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Good morning ladies! It was hot here yesterday and supposed to be more of the same today so at least spring is finally here I hope. I continue to work on my current knitting project and it is coming along. I should get the yarn for the wedding present throw tomorrow so I am anxious to see the color of that and how it knits up.

Jean: We have internal thermometers on both the Grand Marquis and the Mariner and they both will read a couple degrees hotter when we first get in the car and turn it on, but not quite what you got! I always feel old when I see that all the baseball players on the Cubs roster are younger than Jay, who is 35 and a lot of them younger than Kelly, who is 31. When we were in Indiana, there is a Hooters in front of the hotel we stayed at and the drive out of the hotel goes between it and a Del Taco. We were coming out one day and two of the Hooters girls were standing, one on each door holding it open and Jack gave a little ogle. I told him he was old enough to be their grandfather, technically. He said no he wasn't, but when I told him if he had a child when he was 19, then that child had a child when he was 19 then that child would be 22 and could work at Hooters! Spoiled his moment I think. I can't believe both Jackson is going to be 2 already and Thomas will be 9 next month. Your youngin's are growing up too. I need to get out on the deck and clean it up. I haven't even touched it this year and it is a mess.

Susan: Hope they can get you to feeling better on a more permanent basis. It worries me to think about you being home alone and possibly having a bad attack. I can imagine how those stupid steroids make you famished. You know the old saying about the cure killing you. Sometimes the stuff you have to take to help you out messes you up big time in other areas.

I have clinic this afternoon and I need to get jumping on work this morning. I didn't get any cleaning done yesterday because I was putting away dishes out of the dishwasher yesterday morning and one of the brass clips that holds an upper shelve came loose, fell out and caused the top shelf to tip. I tried to catch/fix it and pulled a shoulder muscle so I hurt all day yesterday. I am still a bit sore, but pretty much right as rain. I may have to just hold off doing the upstairs until tomorrow and get Jack's help. The vacuum is pretty heavy to push around so I may ask him to do the vacuuming for me.

Have a great weekend gals. Should be nice everywhere!
Faye

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers! It's another beautiful day in my corner of the world. I ate lunch at the Mexican restaurant with two other teachers; one just got a Mustang convertible so we rode in style. I met Bob and we bought flowers to put in our pots; he just left to work on his tractor and I should get busy and start on laundry.

"Gma" -- I had to laugh at Jack checking out the Hooter girls! Kids at school will ask me how old I am and I vary my answers anywhere from 35 to 92; most of them have no clue. Yes, the grandchildren seem to grow up twice as fast as our own children did. I now know what my mother and my grandmother meant when they would say, "time sure flies by too quickly!" I hope you have a good afternoon at clinic, and you get to see T.

I need to get busy! Enjoy the evening and have a great weekend!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[QuilterInVA]

Good evening, ladies! A beautiful day in the 70s today.

I did a bit of housework, went to Curves, and bought a new pair of sandals. Planned my meals for next week so I could get the grocery list together.

Faye, we have a Hooters here, too. I've never been in one but I can imagine those girls would turn any man's head. I remember you waiting with packed bags for Jackson to decide to be born. Time flies so fast. I hope you get to see Thomas today.

Jean, before you know it, you'll be a retired lady! I love this time of year. I put 3 Hyacinths out so far. I really need to get my self in gear and get some more plants this week end and get them in. I'm glad your MIL is back to walking some.

Well, I guess I should fix my dinner before it's time to go to bed. Talapia and salad tonight.

[Maggie]

HOWDY MAGNOLIAS

Got my big jug of ice water sitting next to me on my desk and am going to cut some zzzzzzzzzzzz's real soon. I have been building (guess what) yep glass houses. I do want to make a whirlly gig, maybe next since I have that order all done that is due in Nov.

DONNA FAYE I sure do hope you got to see Thomas today. I think it is neat that you volunteer at his school. Is your shoulder better. That sure puts a crimp in a gals style when that happens. Bet no dishes go broken though, No Hooters here. We don't have much of a variety here in the heartland.

JEAN AH you make me miss my Mustang Convertible. It was sure a fun car but we wore it out. We will have this Jeep for long long time since we can get parts for every thing on it including body parts.

SUSAN That is nice that your putting out flowers. It is about time when we can get our garden planted. Our apple tree is covered with blossoms. We were sent a bunch of starts for a variety of different trees and don't want to plant them here so are giving them to a friend who has property in the country. If we plant them here then when we do move on they won't ge taken care of properly.

Well folks I am heading for beddy bye. Type at y'all later.

[gma22]

Good morning gals. Fixing myself some sourdough toast as I am starving this morning. I really need to get out into the back and clean it up today, but we shall see. I need to work on knitting too as I have deadlines!

Jean: I had lots of work yesterday and as usual at the last minute. I had a bloody nose I couldn't get stopped and had to send her home, an older gal that wet her pants, a kid who likes spending time in the clinic according to her mom so we aren't supposed to call her unless the girl is feverish or vomiting and a leaky ceiling! I do enjoy it though. I volunteer more than anyone so the kids are now used to seeing me and they wave when they walk past now. Thomas was busy with friends going to lunch and I barely got an acknowledgement yesterday. He does have his priorities! lol

Susan: I can't see how the Hooter girls can be the least bit comfortable. Skin tight tshirts and shorts where your bums always hang out. Guess you have to be young! Hope you are getting to feeling better.

Maggie: I am fine. Thankfully it wasn't very serious and went away fairly quickly. Jack put my piece back in and put the shelf back on, albeit it backwards, but for now, we will just let it be until it starts driving me nuts.

Gotta go girls. Lots I want to accomplish today!
faye

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers! It is a cold (46 degrees!) and windy day in my corner of the world. We had thunderstorms during the night according to Bob; I slept right through them. I've been to the grocery store and have laundry going. I need to do some paperwork filing that I let pile up. Other than that I need to iron to complete my Saturday.

We plan to go up to the lake tomorrow. Bob wants to get the dock braces out so the guys can get the dock in. We also need to look for the 2nd set of car keys for our car that MIL drove and we sold.

Susan -- We planted our flowers this morning, but they are going to stay in the garage until it warms up again. This weather is just crazy -- mid 80s for 3 days and now this. What kind of sandals did you buy? I was looking for something else and came across a pair I bought last year and forgot about them.

Maggie -- No Hooters here either! We do have a "drunk bus" that will pick up the college kids at the local bars however. Are you just about done with your glass village order?

"Gma" -- The Hooter outfits would fit right in at our school, except the girls are trying to get by with layering 2/3 tank tops! The shorts are so short that they might as well just wear their panties; maybe they aren't wearing any because they would hang out below the shorts! They did announce yesterday that shorts had to at least be as long as the end of the fingertips in order to be appropriate, and no tank tops -- shoulders need to be covered. The problem is that no one will enforce the rules!

I need to switch laundry loads and get busy. Have a GREAT day and do something nice for yourself!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies! A beautiful day today - 86 degrees already.

I went to WW this morning, down 1.8 pounds. :

Had to do the usual grocery shopping. Went to Trader Joe's and Kroger. I'm trying a new veggie this week, actually I had some with my lunch - jicama. Yum. A little like turnip in taste.

I saw "The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jumpstart" and started looking at it out of curiosity. I always thought they had to live on a lettuce leaf, one carrot, and lots of water to lose so much weight every week but actually its a very healthy 1500 calories. Since I'm tired of planning meals, I bought the book. I'll see what I can do in 30 days. It's pretty much how I already eat. The recipes really look good. They also have exercises for each day and they aren't too difficult either. Looks like an old lady can do them so I'm trying. They had a signup sheet at Curves yesterday to see who would be interested in Yoga classes on Saturday afternoon at $5 per lesson. Sounds like fun to me so I put my name on the list. The owner knows I have to pace myself and probably can't keep up but she's fine with that.

Maggie, you are so organized to have the village all done. I'd have been finishing it the night before it was due. There were still some of the $6 hungrys at my WW meeting. If you want, I'll get one and mail it to you.

Faye, did you get your yarn yesterday? I love the color you posted. I thought of you when I bought my asparagus today. I keep it standing upright in a big glass half full of water and it lasts me all week. I'm have it tonight roasted with 1 T. of blue cheese on top. A nice man at work gave me some Maytag Blue Cheese. Maytag is the name of a farm in Iowa where they make it. It is the most delicious I have ever had. I'm going to order a wheel and some of their cheddar as well.

Jean, the sandals are nothing much - brown mules. They are nice enough I can wear them to church. We had the ups and downs with temperatures, too. It is maddening! I think in another week we can start complaining about the heat.

Well, have a great evening!

Jean,

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It has cooled off a tad this day and the air conditioner isn't running nor are the ceiling fans. We have those fans in all rooms except the dining room and that will change soon, hopefully. I especially like the one in my studio for I spend most of my day in here. I need to decide what I am having for dinner and I think it will be a frozen dinner since this is a low point day. I can have a nice green salad with it and some fruit also. There is lots of stuff in the freezer that Will likes from Schwans so he can have what he wants and I will fix it for him.

DONNA FAYE Sourdough is our favorite. I hardly ever bake any other kind of bread anymore. However, Will just mentioned this morning that he would like a loaf of ricotta bread. Ah, that is do yummy and I can do that. Sounds like you had a very busy day yesterday, makes the time go by fast. So glad you are feelig fine now. Sometimes those type of accidents can cause any number of aches and pains for days.

JEAN Why not just make a copy of the one set of keys or was it one of those computer type keys? When we bought this Jeep it only came with one key and they cost $250 since they are the computerized ones, so we just asked the car place to replace the one they didn't pick up from the previous owner, making it their fault they didn't have it, which it was. They didn't even get back the hard top but we didn't want that. That Jeep only had 2200 miles on it and wasn't even broken in yet. The tires still had the littlle thingies hanging on them. The dress code when I attended high school back in the "olden days" didn't even allow us to wear jeans or pants of any kind and the boys couldn't wear Levi brand because of the metal rivits which just might scratch the gym floor. Now how much sense does that make when on the gym floor we all had to be dressed in our gym clothes.

SUSAN Thanks for the offer, that was real sweet of you. However, a firend that works for WW out on the left coast has put them in the mail for me and I should get them first part of the new week. She also included some cookie and cream bars that are new and of course we don't have here yet. WW is also coming out with some brownies real soon and you may get them there. I think it is a marketing thing that all areas don't get all items. Anything that we don't get here in the heartland my friend will send me. We love jicama in our family. My mother used to pack little strips of it in our lunches when we bagged it to school for we loved the crunch. I make a yummy salad with oranges, purple onions and jicama you might want to have. I have known jicama since being born on the left coast we got all kinds of veggies grown out there. A lot of Mexican dishes contain jicama.

Well Magnolias I need to hop in the shower now so I'll type at you some other time. Have a great weekend.

[gma22]

Good morning to you all! We are tackling the run amok deck this morning and at least get it under control. Since I had surgery this time last year, we haven't worked on it since the year before. I did get out last fall after the leaves fell and blew them out for the landscaping service to pick up, but we need to blow what is left out, trim the two bushes, I sprayed the weed/wild flower with weed kill and will get it pulled out and then wash down the deck. I want to buy a new patio set except for a table so I am not putting any patio stuff out this year. Our table sits out year round. It is a round glass one and is in great shape and no need to be replaced. I just need new chairs and cushions and a new umbrella to match.

Susan: I was getting ready to make up my grocery list for the next two weeks so looked at recipes for asparagus that I thought Jack would like. I found this one that seems to be low in calories and looks tasty. I would think you could even just spray the asparagus with olive oil spray instead of using olive oil to cut calories/fat. Seems it is basically for the roasting and to make spices adhere. I have never had jicama, but I actually like turnips mashed sort of like mashed potatoes. That is the only way I have ever had them. I love beets and plan on getting some of them, though canned as Jack won't eat them (I did try to get him to try them but he is not veggie friendly yet!lol) I am going to look for the ww bagels and cream cheese at Walmarts and see if I can find smoked salmon somewhere to have a change up for breakfast. I eat mostly cereal or yogurt and toast. I did get my yarn and it is a much deeper yellow color with richer sort of deep butter tones. So, I decided to jazz the throw up a bit and I am putting these cute buttons on each corner of the throw and if I get time, I am going to make a pillow to match. I also increased the size just a smidge so it is more like 60"


Roasted Asparagus, Mushrooms and Onions:
Ingredients
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed
5 1/3 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced
1/3 medium red onion, sliced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
garlic powder, to taste
shredded parmesan cheese, to taste
Directions
1Heat oven to 425°F.
2Line a 10 x 15 inch rimmed baking sheet with foil.
3Place vegetables in pan and sprinkle with olive oil and toss until covered evenly.
4Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
5Roast 10 minutes, stir, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and roast an additional 10 to 15 minutes until vegetables are slightly charred and tender.

Jean: It was near 90 here yesterday. We went out to run an errand yesterday around noon and it was so warm we had to close the sunroof because it was beating down on us and I was afraid of getting sunburned. I am so glad it has turned warm now. As for the kids clothing, Memphis City schools have uniforms and county schools have a dress code and I know that the elementary is pretty enforced. This way at least the boys are wearing gang stuff and the girls aren't falling out of their clothing.

Maggie: I have got to mess with my bread machine. It is brand new and so far, I haven't been able to get it to work properly. I had a panasonic one and loved it but it finally went kaput early last year. I bought this one and have yet to have a loaf of bread come out correctly or at least the dough as I like to make my own loaves of bread or rolls.

Well gals, I need to get morning chores accomplished and get to knitting. You all have a great day!
Faye

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies! Another hot day in the 90s.

I went to church this morning so now I'm ready for my day. I want to get a few things cooked ahead for this week. I have to do my bible study questions. Then I'm going for my walk. Life is good.

Maggie, I would love to have your Jicama salad recipe. You'll love your Hungry! I have ceiling fans in every room in the house. Have you ever noticed when the redo a room on the TV decorating shows, they get rid of the ceiling fan. If they had to live there, I'll bet they wouldn't. It saves a lot on air-conditioning.

Faye, I saved your recipe and I'll be having it this week. I eat a lot of asparagus while its cheaper. I eat turnip raw as well as cooked. It has a nice crunch. Smoked salmon is not hard to find. My Walmart has it. It comes in a 3 oz. package. If you have a Kroger near you, they also carry the WW bagels and cheeses and have smoked salmon.

I made a new recipe today from the BL book. I almost didn't make it because it called for tofu, but I decided to do it and see. Oh, my it is so good. I dipped veggies in it. It would be good with apple or on crackers, too.

PEANUTTY SPREAD

9 oz. Tofu (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup Natural Peanut Butter
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons lime juice

Put everything in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. If it seems too thick, add a tablespoon or 2 of water to thin it.

Makes 12 servings of 2 Tablespoons = 1 point

Have a great day!

[Maggie]

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

Not as hot as it has been here in the heartland. I do belive we have another rainstorm on the way. Hope so for we do need the moisture. Went out to eat (like every Sunday after services except pot luck day). I had a yummy steak sand with eating only half the bun it came on. They bake their own buns there and the top is domed. It is great but I don't eat it all because I am being kind to my program. Anyway this is a high point day and so I can also have some dinner tonight.

Thank you for your recipes gals for I will give them a try for sure. Here are a few of my favorite jicama recipes. The chicken one is a meal in itself and the other two are simple salads which are great when we grill outside in the summertime. They may look like they have lots of ingredients but they are worth it.

JICAMA ORANGE SALAD

¼ cup vinegar
¼ tsp white pepper
¼ tsp chili powder
½ tsp sugar (or Splenda to equal amount)
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 cups peeled julienne cut jicama
1 ½ cups julienne cut red pepper
4 large navel oranges, peeled & sectioned
1 red onion sliced thin

Combine vinegar, oil, sugar, pepper &
chili powder in a large bowl; stir w/ whisk
until vinaigrette is well blended.

Add jicama, bell pepper and orange sections
Toss gently to coat
Serving size ¾ cup ~ 1 POINT


JICAMA SALAD

2 cups diced peeled jicama (about 1 small)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp olive oil
⅛ tsp salt
½ pablano chile, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Yield: 4 servings
1 ½ cups is 1 POINT


JICAMA SALAD W/ SPICED CHICKEN

Chill the chicken after it's cooked; it is best cold.
4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into strips
Cooking Spray
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt, divided
¼ tsp ground red pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
3 cups (⅛-inch) julienne cut peeled jicama (about ¾ pound)
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Lime wedges (optional)

1. Preheat oven at 375°
2. Arrange tortilla strips in single layer on baking sheet
3. Coat strips with cooking spray
4. Bake for 8 minutes or until toasted
5. Combine chili powder, cumin, ¼ tsp salt and pepper in a med bowl.
6. Add chicken, turning to coat on both sides
7. Heat a nonstick skillet coated w cooking spray over med-high heat.
8. Add chicken, cook for 7 minutes on each side or until done. Cool.
9. Cut chicken diagonally into ¼-inch slices.
10. Combine ¼ tsp salt, juice, oil, and honey in a medium bowl.
11. Add jicama, parsley, and tortilla strips, toss well
12. Divide salad evenly among 4 plates, top with chicken
13. garnish with lime wedges, if desired

Yield 4 servings (serving size ⅔ cup salad & 3 ounces chicken.
6 POINTS

If you are taking this to a function you can pack the chicken in a separate container and assemble it when you serve it.


Have a wonderful afternoon and evening. Type at y'all later.

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers! It has poured rain all day long! The sky is a bit brighter right now so maybe the end of the rain is near. We did drive up to the lake -- no car keys in sight so have no clue where to look next. Stopped at Penneys on the way home and picked up a couple summer t-shirts and a pair of cotton slacks. My spring/summer stuff is so old! I've read one newspaper and have been keeping an eye on a "for sale" house, on the lake and down the street, that is having an open house today. They want $498,000 for it and so far haven't had one looker. The couple moved to the Ozarks last fall but have farm ground here so guess they are in no hurry to sell.

Susan -- Congrats on losing 1.8#s this week! I have eaten jicama a couple of times, but have never prepared it myself. I do like it. Thank you for sharing the recipes; the peanutty spread sounds much better than the asparagus one. Bob likes asparagus, but I don't. Maybe I will fix it for him, and then again maybe not. We have two ceiling fans in the kitchen area and all of the bedrooms. Our church had them they were removed when they remodeled; I often wish they would have kept them as well as the small windows that used to open to let a breeze come through. Enjoy your new cookbook and yoga class! I would like to try yoga sometime.

Maggie -- It has warmed up a lot and gotten very humid in the last hour or so. We had 2 sets of cars, just regular car keys. I'm guessing maybe MIL took one set to AZ the last time and they are now in a box down there somewhere. I keep all the keys together in a drawer so thought I could put my hands on them right away. We couldn't wear jeans nor slacks to school when I was in high school either. The boys could wear jeans but they had to wear shirts tucked in and a belt. When I went to college we could wear slacks to class if the temperature was below 0. My dorm was a couple blocks away from the classrooms and some mornings were pretty darned cold walking.

"Gma" -- Your deck project will be a good one to have done! We brought up the idea of uniforms and not allowing students to carry book bags to class. We were informed that both would be infringing upon their rights! What about my rights of safety from getting clobbered by book bags in the halls and/or tripping over them in the classroom? The so-called dress code has gotten way out of hand. If we are offended we can escort the student to the office. We aren't supposed to leave students alone in the classroom, so do we take the whole class and lose instruction time doing it? It is a "catch 22" for sure. I don't like the way my bread machine works either! If you figure out a way to make good bread let me know!

I am off to iron a few shirts for Bob. Have a nice "rest of the day" and a marvelous Monday tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!