Good Morning, Flowers! Bob is singing at church today and has returned for the 2nd service. It is Consecration Sunday as well as receiving new members so ran overtime. I was chilly even though I had a long sleeved turtleneck and jacket on; it's foggy and 33 degrees right now. I need to work on my ironing pile today!
"Gma" -- It seems strange, to me, that you are buying a garden hose this time of year! Around here people are shopping for shovels and snow brushes. I'd hate to say how many mornings I wonder what day it is and if I have to be anywhere early. I started saving in a Roth IRA several years ago but don't plan to use that $$ anytime soon. When I was thinking about retiring Bob figured that the only difference in $$ would be if I lived to be 95, so I figured I might as well spend it while I was young enough to enjoy it. I hate trying to figure that stuff out!
Susan -- Addressing Christmas Cards is a nice way to earn some extra money. Do you have to sign them, or does the tenant do that? When we visited AZ during the winter months I was envious of the flowers they could grow. My violets are even blooming but I know they need to be transplanted and I haven't done that -- another thing on my "to do sometime" list.
Maggie -- I imagine you are at church, right?
Guess I will finish reading the paper until Bob gets home. Have a nice day!
It is a tad chilly here today ~ the furnace just came on do I know it is getting colder. We had some hunters visiting today that came for phesant, etc. season. From places like MT, CO, & WY. And wouldn't you know we knew some folks that they know back home. One is the grown up nephew of the dentist we had when we lived in WY who we knew when he was a mere child. Time marches on doesn't it. I ate sinsibly at the pot-luck and did have just a couple bites of the celebration birthday cake. There was about a third of it left and being put in the fridge will still be good to serve after bible-study wednesday evening with coffee and tea after class. A couple was frantically looking for their little boy and I told them he went home with his grandmother. The dad said, "No! I saw him after Mom left". Will also told him he saw the boy in the grandmothers car sitting in the back seat. Well the dad ended up being wrong after he searched all the rooms down stairs and upstairs in the church building. For I simply said, "Will you please just call your mother and see if your boy is with her." He did he aplologized big time. He really thought the young boy was still with the group after his mother left. He was so sure of it. They all live together so it was not a bit unusual for the kid to hang out with his grandma.
DONNA FAYE Jacks internal clock is programmed to be in the shower at a certain time to get ready for work. I can imagine how he felt when the light came on and he realized it was still weekend. I did that a lot when I worked 3 doubles in a row so know the feeling. Sounds like you got a lot of exercise with the leaves. Lots of leaves. Did you have any nice ones to save and spray with gold for decorations? I am going to look for some to do that with. I have a question for you ~ Do you have the cookbook "Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook for the Core Program"? It is the one that has the same recipes that are in the Momentum cookbook and do you have that one? If you don't have either I can mail the first one I mentioned to you if you want it since you are not planning to do the new program. I certainly don't need two cookbooks alike and thought of you.
SUSAN What a nice way to earn some extra cash. I remember doing that when I was a teen. I did some weddings and word passed and it grew into a good little business for me at that time. I can imagine how pretty the area is you live in with the pansies all over. Nice.
JEAN I know how it is to lose track of what day of the week is. Sometimes Wednesday just pops up and where did Tuesday go. I know Thursday because Will volunteers down town on that day but then there is Saturday. Reminds me of an old movie of which I can't remember the name, maybe it was ~ "If it is Tuesday ~ it must be Belgium."
I think we are going out to Applebees after services tonight. Haven't been there in awhile and I like the menu items marked Weight Watchers.
Type at y'all later Have a wonderful Sunday evening.
Maggie -- on the bites of birthday cake! I'm glad the little boy had gone with his grandmother and not disappeared. We just had 2 convenience store clerks shot and killed after they gave him the money and cigarettes. Both were about an hour plus away from here. The kid shot them so they couldn't identify him -- how dumb since both stores had cameras running. He laughed when he got caught; a juvenile from MN who has been in and out of trouble for years. You just never know what can happen. We haven't eaten at Applebee's for quite awhile. I'll bet restaurants aren't too happy with WW changing their program. I'm heading to bed to readfor awhile.
Good morning to you ladies! It is going to be a whopping 76 here today! It is already in the mid 60's when I got up at 5. It looks like a beautiful day outside, but I have tons to do to get ready for the kids to be in town, the holiday and the gift thing and all. I also have to make sure the house is cleaned, the baking is all done and such too. I will get it all done. Today is make a list day so I can get stuff done and mark it off. Always keeps me on the straight and narrow, lists do! lol
Susan: Actually, your squash made that way sounds very good. I find that a good quality turkey sausage with lots of nice spices is just as tasty as pork. Do you just use something like stove top stuffing or the bagged stuff? I will definitely have to keep that recipe in mind though Jack would never ever eat squash. He hates all gourd veggies, heck he hates most veggies. He is my little enigma. He hates fish, but loves salmon, scallops, shrimp. He hates veggies but loves asparagus and okra. I am much more into eating poultry than he is. I love chicken for the most part. I was watching a show on the travel channel and this woman who has a bbq restaurant made shredded turkey sandwiches instead of pork and put what she called "white bbq sauce" on them. The people raved about them. She used turkey breast and rubbed them with spices like you do pork butt then smoked them like you would pork butt then shredded it. The white bbq sauce was a blend of her secret spices, buttermilk and sour cream I think it was. You could easily make it with ff buttermilk and ff sour cream and play with spices to make it your own. I bet it would be fabulous in place of the fattier pork sandwich. I had a Vanguard account when I worked for the law firm, but when we moved down here, I had to take it all out and pay the penalty so we could live on it until Jack found a job. I really only worked to help supplement income so never had a career. The law firm was the longest job I had, which was 7 years. So, my ss will be small.
Maggie: I don't have that cookbook. I have the little paperback ones you sent me, the big WW in 20 Minutes and the older version of WW Complete Cookbook Feel free to send it to me if you like. I can always use more ideas for meals. I am not a big cake eater, thank goodness. I tend to overindulge in pastry items, like turnovers, napoleans, tarts stuff like that and I love pie if the crusts are made properly, which is rare. I also like a good cheesecake. My goodness that man could have saved himself a huge amount of grief is he had just called home. On the other hand, grandma should have told the parents she was taking him with her.
Jean: Did you like the movie "Red?" Jack and I really liked it. I am a huge Helen Mirren fan though. It had some really funny parts I think. Are you guys going to Hawaii in February? I would imagine you would be starting your process of finding out about flights and such soon. Did you read the two stories about the current "scanner" incidents with airports? There was a flight attendent who was a breast cancer survivor that went through a scanner but then they made her do a pat down. She has a prosthetic breast and the TSA agent made her take it out of her bra and the agent messed with it. The poor woman was humiliated. Then there was the poor man who had bladder surgery from cancer and had an urinary ostomy bag. He asked if he could go someplace private for a pat down and explained the situation. They originally told him NO but he begged so he said they looked at each other rolled their eyes and took him to an office. He told them that when they got to where the bag was to be careful because pushing on it or squeezing it could break the seal. Well, these jerks did exactly what he told them not to and squirted urine all over his shirt and down his pant leg. He had to fly smelling like urine and having it all over him. I am all for protecting us and have been an advocate of anything they felt they needed to do, but these agents are now going too far. I think they get their jollies out of the power they have and they abuse it. We have a scanner here in the Memphis airport. Jack pretty much has refused to fly because of all the stuff going on with airlines, baggage costs and extra costs and all the TSA stuff now.
Well, this is not getting things done and I have a ton to do. Have a great start to your week every one. Faye
Good Morning, Flowers! It is misting and freezing in my corner of the world this morning. I think the sun has abandoned my area! I am dressed and ready to leave for the church office, but they won't be done counting money until 9 so there's no point in going this early. The secretary wants to get the newsletter out before Thanksgiving and asked if I would help -- that's not on my list of things to get done this week, but I can help for awhile.
"Gma" -- I will trade you weather! It is 28 degrees here with a wind chill of 20. We thought the movie would have more humor in it from the previews. It was an "ok" movie but I wouldn't go see it again. 2011 is not our year for Maui. We go on even years, so look forward to 2012! We can't book flights more than 4/5 months in advance -- not sure why. The wife, from the other couple we travel with, likes to shop for deals and gets tips from several online sources. That drives me -- we were on the same site last time and her prices were cheaper than what was showing on my screen. I think the airlines need to start being more security careful about the cargo they carry along with the passengers. I don't like the idea of the pat down, but that idiot who hid the explosive in his shorts is scary too. I had to chuckle at the guy who told the TSA agent if he touched his "junk" he would sue.
The dishwasher is going and I just heard the dryer so time to hike down to the basement and change loads. Have a marvelous Monday and I hope the sun is shining on you today!
Yeppers I am a happy camper weigh day. My Iron Monster showed me down three pounds. Yep I had a good week. It is a chilly 32 degrees feels like 24 day here in the Heartland. I have the Weather Channel app on my phone (a free app) which I find is the most accurate reading and just checked it. It is a good thing Will brought his newly built table down to the basement and can work inside. Well actually he made the table and assembled it down there. It made it easier getting it down the stairs and then putting it together there because it is so heavy. Right now he is gone taking Ragg Mopp to the groomer and picking up the bag from the First Call center for he is on call for a few days now. He will be on call over Thanksgiving also. Seems no one else wants to volunteer those days. Someone has to do it. Some of the folks that call are really pitiful and truly need help. Last time he was on duty he helped a run-away teen age girl make contact with her folks and get on a bus headed for home. She had a few states to cross before she got home. There are help centers all along the way for each one is limited to how far of a ticket they can purchase. In this girls case she called her dad and he was going to wire the money for a straight through ticket for her. Will got her a motel room and arranged for the police to pick her up in the morning and take her to the bus stop. Will never transports any of them in the Jeep. The rules are that the police do the transporting and it works out real nice for they are quick when called. Will just takes care of the paperwork and interviews the folks then meets them at the motel. The center provides nutritious protein bars and fruit and drinks for the folks. I imagine he will be busy this holiday time with his on call volunteer work. It is a quick process ~ he goes to the center and picks up the paperwork and calls the motel. Then he gives some information to the officer and the officer picks up the person and goes to the motel where Will meets them and they get the person a room and all is taken care of. I wonder if all cities have this method of taking care of the down and out. I imagine it is something happening all over our great land.
DONNA FAYE I'll get that book shipped off to you soon. That Grandma did tell her son she was taking that little boy home. Somehow he just spaced it. He was right out there when that kid got in Grandma's back seat but all he rememberd seeing was the kid running back into the building. But he came out again and hopeed in the car. That's when his grandma told the kids father he was going home with her. He just didn't hear that for he was thinking the kid ran into the building and he was going in there also. He just wasn't paying attention is all I can think. He had it burned into his brain that last image of the kid running back into the building. I saw that about those folks being abused in those airport screening places. There are some horror stories coming out of that mess. We don't fly but that doesn't mean we don't think they should have a sensible system to check those that look suspisious that do fly. But they are so afraid of profiling. Well DUH ~ who do the terriorists look like. Not grannie or little kids or ~ the list goes on. Profile because that is how you find the bad guys. You take a city that has lots of crime. Where do the folks who are doing the crimes live. Go to that area and watch and wait and catch the bad guys. Well just what neighborhood are you in ~ bad side of town. Who lives there. OK is that profiling or catching the bad guys where they live. I am more like you and not much of a cake eater. Turnovers ~ YUM. I do mine baked.
JEAN LOL using the "junk" word has really caught on with the talking heads. That guy will become famous for coining a new word for a private area. Folks can say "junk" and everyone knows what they must be talking about. Burrrrr it is cold in your neck of the woods. Sounds to me like those folks have your number when it comes to getting you to volunteer. You would think there would be more in your congregation that could do it and lighten the time you have to spend down there. Spread it around so to speak.
SUSAN That sounds like a terrific way to fix that squash. I have never put meat in it but if you do you can have that as the meal. We have lots of acorn squash from our garden and that will be a way I will surely fix some. Do you eat the whole thing or just a half? When I fix it I only do one squash and we both have a half. I appreciate finding out new ways to fix it.
Well MAGNOLIAS I am going to get something done this day. Yep, I need to get all the stuff rounded up so I will have all the ingredients I need to make the things I said I would take to Thanksgiving dinner at our friends house. So I'll say audios now and type at y'all later.
Maggie -- on losing 3#s this week! You did "good" and now to keep it going will be the focus. When I got to the church office this morning the secretary wasn't there. Her dad had fallen on the ice and she was at the hospital with him. So there was no newsletter to work on. Monday mornings are slow so I left it that she could call me if she needed me this afternoon. We have people who make the rounds of the churches for "handouts," but the churches do keep track and share their lists with each other. I know that our church has a limit of how much we will help in that we will pay part of the utility bill direct and/or give a voucher to the local grocery store limiting what they can purchase to "good" food and not junk, cigarettes, beer, etc. We will only help 2 months in a row. I'm not sure what they do if a motel is needed. It's good that Will is able to volunteer to help. I think the pastor likes having me there because I know more of the office routine than others who will fill in in a pinch. I do enjoy being there and have learned some skills along the way. At least I can take phone messages, know where supplies are kept, and who to ask if I can't answer a question. He would really like me to take on the newsletter every other week but that would interfere with my retirement lunch bunch and I won't give that up.
Good morning gals! The dog drove me nuts all night, up and down and up and down so I kept getting my sleep interrupted. I gave up around 4:30 but he can't go outside it is pouring rain out. You can hear it whacking the deck sitting here at the computer.
I have my lists! I have one list for what I have to take to Kelly's for Thanksgiving, one list for everything I want to get done before Thanksgiving and the third is a shopping list for today to get the rest of the Christmas presents and the rest of the groceries to make Thanksgiving stuff. I guess I am all set now!
I never got the bathrooms cleaned upstairs so will tackle them early this am since Jack is not going to go to work and will get up and call in around 6:30. He decided just to go ahead and take Tuesday off too. I am actually glad as I can use all the help I can get.
I finished Jackson's sock last night so will wash them today and get them blocked to dry so I can wrap them up for his Christmas. Hopefully his feet haven't grown significantly in the last month that his mom told me his shoe size! I talked to his dad yesterday morning and ask him how my grandson was and he said he was being a brat. He went on and on about trying to make him behave etc, etc. I thought ya and I had the same problems with you only not until you were school age. I told him a parent can only do the best they can.
Jean: The article I read yesterday about the TSA business made excuses for them about the pressure they were under, etc. That just doesn't fly with me. I have no problem with the scanner, no problem with a fairly intimate pat down as they call it, but I do have a problem with the agents being arrogant jerks and a lot of them are. They have hired people with no customer service training and IMO anytime you are working with the public you need training on how to deal with them properly. These people know that the government backs up anything they do so they can act any way they like. It is pretty much like that for flight attendents too. I am not saying the majority are like that but when you have someone do what those two did with the cancer survivors they need to be written up and severely reprimanded at least. I don't know why I thought you went every year. I don't know what we are going to do next year. We usually go someplace big every other year and then take a small vacation inbetween years but haven't gone anywhere big since 2007 when we were in Vegas last. I am beginning to get nervous about booking a cruise with all the stuff that seems to either being happening on the ship itself or when you are walking around in port. I would like to go to Boston for vacation some year I think and our dream would be to go to England, Scotland and Ireland, but don't know if that will ever happen.
Maggie: Big congrats on losing 3 lbs. I think the way they have the system set up for the hotline is good. You never know what the person on the phone will be like in person so it is best that the police handle them in person. Of course there is no hurry on the cookbook at all. Believe me, I have plenty to pick from as it is. We are kind of like that about crime around here. You have a city that is 65% african american so it would only reason the majority of crime would be committed by the majority. The truth is we seem to only have crime issues with the blacks here. We will have hispanic problems occasionally, but the hispanic gangs haven't taken hold here like the black gangs have. Just the other day at a school bus stop a kid got half beat to death by other kids and not one of them was white. The parents on camera moaned and complained about how awful it is and all but then when you accuse Johnny it is all about "He is a good boy."
Susan: Hope you are having a good week.
I am going to start on T's sock now until Jack gets up since I am awake. Have a good Tuesday! Faye
Good afternoon, ladies! 72 degrees already! Spring has returned (LOL)!
I've got a miserable head and chest cold and can hardly talk. Stan would say "what's new" since I'm almost always sick at the holidays. I have Prednisone to use "as needed" so I put myself on a 5-day burst. No way I want to end up in the hospital again. I haven't been to the Y since Friday and I'm going to not go the rest of this week to get plenty of rest.
I had a sudden insight today - I can't go to my Dec. 4 meeting because I meet my friends for our Christmas lunch. It's another hour from where we are meeting. I guess I will indeed have to go earlier in the week. The week 2 WI have been good too over at the UK sight.
Faye, counting down to Jackson Day? LOL. I hope you get everything done so you can sit back and enjoy your visit. My friend Adora and I are going to see Harry Potter Saturday afternoon. I really hate to see this coming to an end, only one more.
Jean, our church teams up with the nearby Episcopal church to have a food panty, give aid to the needy, and make sandwiches for the Salvation Army. It seems to work pretty well. We also pick up brown grocery bags on the third Sunday of the month and return them on the next one. They have a list attached of the foods needed by the food bank. I have gotten away from giving food to the food bank but give them money for they can buy so much more with it. We also have an angel tree at church for gifts for needy children. This month we gave socks, hats and mittens for the needy for winter. And lastly. we have a separate collection once a month for the needy we help with light and heating bills, etc.
Maggie, WOW 3 pounds! That was great. It's does make one feel good to see the scale going down, doesn't it. I only eat half an acorn squash. I've also sliced it into rings, cut them in half and baked with pork chops. I drizzle olive oil on the squash and a little brown sugar Splenda.
This day is foggy with a temp of 30 that feels like 20. Burrrr, I am staying inside. I have my list made for what I need to do and when the time comes I will be ready to pack up and go to our friends home for Thanksgiving. She plans on serving at noon (we usually do it at 2 in the afternoon) but it is her party. I will get most of what I am taking done on Wednesday and the sweet potatoes can be done Thursday morning. Since I am using the canned kind it will only have to heat up in the oven. My recipe calls for orange juice, brown sugar, spices and pecans. Yummy, yummy, yummy. Anyway I like to be organized. Today I am going to give my kitchen the once over. The mail just arrived and I got some more interesting catalogues. More and more come as we see the day approaching. They sure are creative with how they make the dog treats look. We buy from the feed store that has the kind that the groomer suggested. He gets rabbit jerkey of all things. We have to watch the ingredients of those things we treat him with.
DONNA FAYE I have your cookbook boxed and Will will mail it off today. I put it in a Chefs box. Fitting I thought. Being under pressure at a job is no excuse to be rude and thoughtless to folks. Those TSA folks need some training for sure how to deal with the public. Yeppers, we are alike when it comes to making "to do" lists. Keeps us organized.
JEAN You are one valuable volunteer for sure. Folks know who to call on that will get the job done. The rule is to always ask someone that is busy to do something and it will get done. Is it foggy there today ~ it sure is here.
SUSAN OH, I am so sorry you are not feeling exact. You poor dear do take it easy. I will definitely try that way of cooking the squash for it sounds easy and yummy at the same time. I am anxuously waiting to get into the new WW program. What a change it will be.
Well MAGNOLIAS my break is over and my coffee container is empty so I must bid you good bye for now. Have a great day.
Good Afternoon, Flowers! It was 9 degrees when I went downstairs this morning! That is too cold too soon! Right now it has warmed up to 28 and the sun has been shining all day! I worked in the gift shop this morning. Bob came to have lunch with me and the volunteer coordinator came to tell me the gal who was to work the afternoon shift wasn't coming in. I had already committed to the church office this afternoon or I could have stayed there and worked. I had a busy morning and sold $193 worth of stuff -- mostly Christmas items. When I got to the church the newsletter was still in the making so pushed to get that done and printed, folded, collated, addressed, and zip code bundled. It's signed, sealed, and delivered to the po on my way home. I am tired!
"Gma" -- I didn't realize it has been that long since you were in Vegas. You do have a busy few days coming up; don't lose your lists! We have gang wannabes around here -- both Mexican and black. So far there have been a few drive by shootings and stabbings but not anywhere close to where we live. I'm glad Jack is taking the day off to help you get ready!
Susan -- I'm sorry you aren't feeling the best! I hope you are well enough to enjoy Thanksgiving. We also have a food bank, an adopt-a-family program, and a hat/mitten tree at church. I think a lot of people are more apt to give at holiday time if they have been blessed in the past year.
Maggie -- There's no fog today! The gloomy days seem to go on forever. The weatherman says we may have some freezing drizzle again tomorrow but I'm hoping he is wrong. The past few days, at breakfast, Bob asks me where he can find me during the day. Since a lot of the hospital volunteers are snowbirds, I am getting more "fill-in" calls there, which is fine.
Guess I will sort through the pile of mail and rip off our name and address on the junk stuff. I wish the po would raise the junk rate and maybe they would quit sending so much. Enjoy your evening!
Just checking in before going to bed for it is just now 12 Midnight. We watched the second & third movie of the Jason Bourne movies tonight for we watched the first one last night but got started earlier tonight. I read the books long ago and they are action packed. We went to a shop in town today to purchase a basket for which we need to transport the rolls to the Thanksgiving dinner. Years ago we had bunches of baskets but like I said before we got rid of lots of things when we downsized into that motorhome. Well in the shop where we got the basket we found out they also sell Yankee Candles. They are running a sale that is if you buy two you get two free. So of course we came home with 4. I was looking on line on their web site for hangers for them and that is how I clicked on the wrong place today and sent you all a picture of one I found I liked. I know you don't mind but I noticed it just as it was leaving my computer. When we lived in TN we had a lot of the Yankee candles. They have the best formula of scents of any company I do believe.
JEAN That is some cold to wake up to. Shudder. Nice that Bob wants to find you to take you to lunch. He is definitely a keeper for sure. I think it would be a good idea for the PO to charge junk mail first class rates since they are always crying they are losing money. And catalogues would only go to those who requested them. Yep, I like that idea.
Well my MAGNOLIA friends I am saying good night. Hope you are all sleeping soundly by now.
Good morning gals! One more day to Thanksgiving so hope you all have things going the way you need to. I am going down for the third time I think. I did get the upstairs done, but we went out to do the shopping and I got sick at Target and we had to come home so I have all the food shopping left to do this morning along with cleaning the downstairs, wrapping all the presents and cooking. Part of the cooking will be done first thing in the morning though. I am going to get up from here and start on the stuff in the kitchen. I was just in no shape to do it at all yesterday, but with some meds I feel much better this morning thank goodness. The bad thing is I was in the very back of the store when I got sick and the restrooms are all in front of the check out so it was a race to see if I got there on time.
Maggie: I love the Yankee candles, but I hate the smoke that gets on stuff especially the computer and tv screens. I don't think the no wick candles do as nice of a job with fragrance either. I noticed our Cracker Barrel is not carrying the cardboard style car air freshners anymore only the gel ones and they don't do squat putting fragrance into the car. I have seen all the Bourne movies. I like the Ocean's 11 movies too, not the middle one, but the first and third one. They are funny in parts. I am into watching Christmas movies at the moment. I sit and knit and watch. We watched "What Happens in Vegas" last night. I had seen it, but Jack hadn't seen it. It is a cute movie. I saw "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaze and Kate Winslet a couple days ago followed by "The Last Holiday" with Queen Latifeh. Those are both really cute movies. Thank you in advance for the cookbook. You didn't have to ship it so fast, but I appreciate the gift.
Susan: Here's hoping you can get your cold under control before it gets too bad. We dont' want you in the hospital again this year. You take care of yourself, stay in bed, take your meds, and read some good books! lol I am anxious to hear how you liked the new HP movie. I think we are going to go next weekend to see it. They sure have been promoting it. I even saw online a sneak peek of trailer parts for the final movie. I saw this funny video this morning of Daniel Radcliffe pretending to be doing an interview with an american reporter where he claims he is really Harry Potter and Daniel Radcliffe is the character. He tells the reporter that he was told he is good enough to play on a professional quiddich team, then gets huffy when the reporter says something about it being fake. He tells the reporter he is offended by americans always making fun of british sports and to prove it, he goes off camera and continues talking about having "broom rash" and you are supposed to be believe he shucks his trousers to show the reporter. It was pretty funny.
Jean: Wow you have been a busy charity lady lately. I am amazed about your sales, probably the most you have sold all year! lol Yikes, I have the ac on here as it has been getting into the high 70's during the day and only into the mid 60's overnight. I have the fan on in the house right now. Jack and I started out having fun getting the adult gifts for the exchange in the toy department, then I got sick and we had to hurry up and go home. I bought this cute Barbie doll set where she is a Pizza cook. she has a pizza on her hand and you can push a button and her back and her pizza spins. She also has a cash register that rings and such. It is cute. We bought this cute play dough cake making and decorating set too. Now all I have to do is get all the stuff wrapped and you know how I love to do that.
Well gals, this is just delaying the inevitable. I have got to get started on my chores or they just won't all get finished. Have a wonderful day today and if I don't get in here tomorrow, have a terrific Thanksgivingwith family and friends! Faye
Good afternoon, ladies! Only 50 degrees today. Is it any wonder people are sick with temperature swings like we've been having.
I don't have anymore cold symptoms but the elephant is sitting on my chest. Meds help and I'm doing them on schedule. I expect I'll be able to enjoy tomorrow and if I don't feel like eating much, that will be a plus!
Jean, wow you actually sold stuff in the gift shop! What a day! You are a good woman to volunteer for so many things.
Maggie, If I ate at noon, I'd be wanting another meal around 6. We'll be going to the 2:30 sitting at the restaurant tomorrow so that will hold me for the day. I checked the Canadian WW site yesterday. What a strange bunch. Their plan is starting the week after ours. The only thing about it on the whole site was a post asking for the date. No speculation, no discussion. Just an apathic bunch.
Faye, I hope you aren't getting sick for the holidays! No fun!. At least I can just lay around and take care of myself. You have so much to do. Take care!
It is sunny and 56 here in the Heartland. I have my day mapped out for me and it is going well. I am taking a bit of a break now so decided to check in with y'all. OH, the neighbors dog (one of the 4) barked all night long. Wonder what was wrong with it but he sure disturbed our sleep. When the owner who leaves around 5 am gets home Will will have a nice talk with him. Usually they are well behaved at night which makes me think something may be wrong with one of them. All is silent now. Will filled my whole list of what I need to make all the stuff I am taking tomorrow except an orange. When he goes to town this day he can pick me up a couple of them. What I need an orange for is to use the juice in the sweet potatoes and then some shreds of the skin for garnish. What I did yesterday was to get all the ingredients of a dish and place them in the proper sized container. That is when it dawned on me that I didn't have a basket for the rolls. Now I do.
DONNA FAYE Our Yankee candles don't smoke up the place. Perhaps they have change the formula but we have never had that problem. We get the ones in the large jars. Right now a vanilla one is burning and it smells sooo good in here. I certainly hope what was bugging your system yesterday is gone. That is such a horrible feeling to have an attack and be so far away from a rest room.
SUSAN I would prefer to that Thanksgiving meal later but, alas, since it isn't at my house . . . I plan on making us smoothies for dinner. Will can eat if he chooses but I am having a smoothie. Folks up north are definitely different aren't they. We do tend to get more excited about things. Curious we are. The folks in North Dakota are more like the Canadians we have found. Montana, now that is a different story. Hope that elephant gets off your chest soon and you can really enjoy tomorrow. for you also.
JEAN Busy this day are ya?
Well, guess break time is over and my coffee is empty so audious. Type at y'all later. Have a great day tomorrow everyone.
Around here people are shopping for shovels and snow brushes. I'd hate to say how many mornings I wonder what day it is and if I have to be anywhere early. 
I started saving in a Roth IRA several years ago but don't plan to use that $$ anytime soon. When I was thinking about retiring Bob figured that the only difference in $$ would be if I lived to be 95, so I figured I might as well spend it while I was young enough to enjoy it. I hate trying to figure that stuff out!
Do you have to sign them, or does the tenant do that? When we visited AZ during the winter months I was envious of the flowers they could grow. My violets are even blooming but I know they need to be transplanted and I haven't done that -- another thing on my "to do sometime" list. 
from Iowa!
Sunny Sunday
on the bites of birthday cake! I'm glad the little boy had gone with his grandmother and not disappeared. We just had 2 convenience store clerks shot and killed after they gave him the money and cigarettes. Both were about an hour plus away from here. The kid shot them so they couldn't identify him -- how dumb since both stores had cameras running. He laughed when he got caught; a juvenile from MN who has been in and out of trouble for years. You just never know what can happen. We haven't eaten at Applebee's for quite awhile. I'll bet restaurants aren't too happy with WW changing their program. 
I'm heading to bed to readfor awhile.
I think the sun has abandoned my area! I am dressed and ready to leave for the church office, but they won't be done counting money until 9 so there's no point in going this early. The secretary wants to get the newsletter out before Thanksgiving and asked if I would help -- that's not on my list of things to get done this week, but I can help for awhile.
We thought the movie would have more humor in it from the previews. It was an "ok" movie but I wouldn't go see it again. 2011 is not our year for Maui. 
We go on even years, so look forward to 2012! We can't book flights more than 4/5 months in advance -- not sure why. The wife, from the other couple we travel with, likes to shop for deals and gets tips from several online sources. That drives me 
It is a good thing Will brought his newly built table down to the basement and can work inside. Well actually he made the table and assembled it down there. It made it easier getting it down the stairs and then putting it together there because it is so heavy. Right now he is gone taking Ragg Mopp to the groomer and picking up the bag from the First Call center for he is on call for a few days now. He will be on call over Thanksgiving also. Seems no one else wants to volunteer those days. Someone has to do it. Some of the folks that call are really pitiful and truly need help. Last time he was on duty he helped a run-away teen age girl make contact with her folks and get on a bus headed for home. She had a few states to cross before she got home. There are help centers all along the way for each one is limited to how far of a ticket they can purchase. In this girls case she called her dad and he was going to wire the money for a straight through ticket for her. Will got her a motel room and arranged for the police to pick her up in the morning and take her to the bus stop. Will never transports any of them in the Jeep. The rules are that the police do the transporting and it works out real nice for they are quick when called. Will just takes care of the paperwork and interviews the folks then meets them at the motel. The center provides nutritious protein bars and fruit and drinks for the folks. I imagine he will be busy this holiday time with his on call volunteer work. It is a quick process ~ he goes to the center and picks up the paperwork and calls the motel. Then he gives some information to the officer and the officer picks up the person and goes to the motel where Will meets them and they get the person a room and all is taken care of. I wonder if all cities have this method of taking care of the down and out. I imagine it is something happening all over our great land. 
OK is that profiling or catching the bad guys where they live. I am more like you and not much of a cake eater. Turnovers ~ YUM. I do mine baked.
and she was at the hospital with him. So there was no newsletter to work on. Monday mornings are slow so I left it that she could call me if she needed me this afternoon. We have people who make the rounds of the churches for "handouts," but the churches do keep track and share their lists with each other. I know that our church has a limit of how much we will help in that we will pay part of the utility bill direct and/or give a voucher to the local grocery store limiting what they can purchase to "good" food and not junk, cigarettes, beer, etc. We will only help 2 months in a row. I'm not sure what they do if a motel is needed. It's good that Will is able to volunteer to help. I think the pastor likes having me there because I know more of the office routine than others who will fill in in a pinch. I do enjoy being there and have learned some skills along the way. At least I can take phone messages, know where supplies are kept, and who to ask if I can't answer a question. He would really like me to take on the newsletter every other week but that would interfere with my retirement lunch bunch and I won't give that up. 
I will get most of what I am taking done on Wednesday and the sweet potatoes can be done Thursday morning. Since I am using the canned kind it will only have to heat up in the oven. 
I will definitely try that way of cooking the squash for it sounds easy and yummy at the same time. I am anxuously waiting to get into the new WW program. What a change it will be.
I'm glad Jack is taking the day off to help you get ready!
The gloomy days seem to go on forever. The weatherman says we may have some freezing drizzle again tomorrow but I'm hoping he is wrong. The past few days, at breakfast, Bob asks me where he can find me during the day. 
Folks up north are definitely different aren't they. We do tend to get more excited about things. Curious we are. The folks in North Dakota are more like the Canadians we have found. Montana, now that is a different story. Hope that elephant gets off your chest soon and you can really enjoy tomorrow. 
