[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! It's been a long day and I'm tired! It was so windy at the lake that it wasn't nice being outside. Of course the kids wanted to be in the water and the lake has cooled down quite a bit. So it was in and out of the cabin, in and out of the sand, in and out of the water most of the time we were there. With six children between the ages of 5 and 3, and nine adults the place was busy today! I'm glad to be home where it is peaceful and quiet!

"Gma" -- I don't think I would be brave enough to have my picture taken with "critters" like Thomas did. I not very daring.

Susan -- Thanks for the trapunto explanation; it makes perfect sense. It sounds like you picked up some great fruit for the week. Our sweet corn is done for the season although I'm still seeing it in the stores. The corn sold from farmers' pick-ups is the very best!

I am heading off to bed. Have a marvelous Monday, September 1st, tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[QuilterInVA]

Good evening, ladies. A really nice day today with low humidity.

Jean, fall is on the way but we have second crops of some veggies coming in so the supply continues. It's almost time to plant the pansies, though. They bloom most of the winter and then start again around the end of February and continue until the hot weather kills them. It makes the winter seem warmer to see flowers blooming.

I made a pot of WW Garden Vegetable Soup today - a double batch. We've been having some cooler weather and its getting to be soup time once again.

I used cruthes and went over to the lake today and sat in the sunshine for awhile. It's not far, about 10 minutes each way. Several people stopped and offered me a ride and we amazed when I said no. I just felt the need to move around outside.

I finished the Beck Diet Solution Workbook yesterday so am starting back through it again. I listen to the tape for the day, then do the workbook for that day. I think the more times I hear it and read it, the more it will sink in.

Have a good evening.

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! It's been another hot windy day in my corner of the world. Even though Jason's birthday is Wed., he was born on Labor Day 35 years ago! I always wish him a Happy Birthday on Labor Day. I've been doing laundry and sorting through the paper clutter. We got the Penneys "holiday" catalog and what a joke it is! It is so small and not nearly the gift offerings of the "old" days. Beth and family stopped here on their way home from the lake so Will could work on my computer. He tried to explain how to download and do something here 'n there yesterday. I looked at him and asked if he could draw a picture for me . . . like I would have a clue what he was talking about! They left about an hour ago and now I'm not in the mood to start any new projects. Tomorrow will seem like Monday all day; I'm glad it is a 4 day week.

Susan -- I wish we could grow flowers year around. My geraniums are looking pretty scraggily. They never did fill in like in other years so I don't know if they were too wet with all the spring rain, too dry now, or what. Do the tapes come with the Beck workbook, separate, or with the book itself? I haven't taken time to look for it online and we haven't been to Sioux City where there is a Barnes & Noble bookstore. I'm glad you were able to enjoy the lake today.

Bob is going to grill hamburgers so guess that is my cue to set the table. Have a terrific Tuesday tomorrow! It doesn't seem possible it is September already. Where did June, July, and August go?

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Good morning to you all. Looks like the Gustav rain may start hitting us today. It is dark and cloudy today. Hopefully nothing will be brewing for awhile and give the country a rest weather wise.

Susan: I love soups during the cooler weather. Since Jack is not much of a veggie eater, my veggy soup is poor on veggie variety, but yummy anyway. I buy the ff Campbells soups if I want a veggy soup with different veggies in them.

Jean: Sounds like you had a busy weekend. We had fun with T, but you are worn out when they go home, even as old as he is. He is a real live wire and doesn't sit still for a minute. That's why it is so surprising he behaves so well in school and gets such outstanding grades. Guess he just needs to blow off the steam when he isn't in school.

I am waiting for a small set of needles from Knit Picks to start the last hat. My options interchangeable set only goes down to size 4 and I need a three and I also need a 16 inch circ and mine only goes down to a 25 so I had to buy a standard pair. As soon as they are done, I will set the colors, then launder them and dry them and wrap them up for the little girl.

Have a good Tuesday! You're right Jean, the summer did fly by. Faye

[GailR]

Happy Tuesday Afternoon, Magnolias!

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. My family and I did--we got together on Sunday evening instead of Monday. Everyone wanted a quiet day before going back to work so Sunday we gathered and grilled outside. The grandaughters (8 and 4 yrs) decided they wanted to spend the night with us and wore Wayne and I out by the time their mom (our youngest daughter) came to pick them up on Monday morning! That little one SNORES!

I went to WW this morning. End of week #1 for the gazillionth time (but, hey, who's counting?!) and I'm down 3.4 lbs. I feel good about that because I had a lot of temptation cross my path last week--a luncheon, a cookout, and ICE CREAM. I'm proud to say I past the ice cream with the help of my two daughters who CHOSE not to have any. We ate watermelon instead. Yum.

I'm still knitting and finally have gotten the pattern size right for mittens and fingerless gloves for the little ones in the family. So, now the little girls are waiting impatiently for their knitted goods which I told them they cannot have until the end of October...unless it gets cold before then.

Jean, I really understand about the chaos when it comes to family get-togethers. As much as I looooove to have everyone over--there nine of us also--it is so blissfully quiet when they leave!

Susan, I was thinking about that WW soup this morning! When I go to the grocery store on Friday I plan on buying the ingredients for it. Weight Watchers also has a very good Vegetable Beef soup recipe that I make. Twelve servings which I freeze individually. I post the recipe soon. You might be interested in that.

Jean, I used to look forward to the Sears and JC Penney holiday catalogues! Times have changed haven't they?!

Donna Fay, I love Knit Picks! I love their website and I love getting their catalogue. I've liked everything I've ever ordered from them.

Maggie, was your WW meeting cancelled last night due to it being Labor Day?

Gail

[QuilterInVA]

Good afternoon, ladies! Another beautiful day. I feel blessed to have the heat and humidity gone. I'll feel even better if the next hurricane doesn't hit at the outer banks; that would not be good for us!

It sounds like everyone had a lovely holiday.

Jean, the tape is separate from the workbook. I got them from Amazon at greatly reduced prices.

Faye, I also like the Progresso Zero Point Soups. There are 3 varieties. Very tasty.

Gail, way to go to get the scale moving down again. Time for all of us to get vigilant before the eating season begins.

I can really feel it in my arms from using the crutches yesterday.

Have a good evening!

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! We had some heavy rain this morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon. It was quite warm and humid early, but after the rain the temperature dropped about 20 degrees. Nice! The kids were dragging at school today and it seemed like Monday for everyone. Several students and teachers have that croupy cough so I'm trying to wash my hands alot.

"Gma" -- I love this cooler weather; it does feel like fall tonight. I like to have the deck french door open in the evening and it was too chilly, so I had to shut it. Once the cabin is closed for the winter (sometime after Bob's brothers leave in a week or so) I hope to get a lot more done around here. I really want to get the 3 bedrooms upstairs painted and carpet in before Christmas. I think I said that last year too.

Gail -- Congrats on losing 3.4#s! I don't know why but it seems like it is harder each time we try. Tonight feels like soup weather again. Please do share your recipe with us. When you talk about fingerless gloves I always think of the marching band; some football games are pretty darned cold to be hanging onto metal instruments.

Susan -- When I see the kids on crutches at school I marvel at how well they get around. I am not coordinated and would probably fall flat. I hope the hurricane fizzles before it gets close to you. I wonder who comes up with the names. Is the Beck diet tape a recording of the book or in addition to the book/workbook? I'll have to see if I can find it.

Beth just called and Maddy brought home fundraising catalogs today. I can go online and shop so best take a look before I forget.

Have a wonderful Wednesday tomorrow! I love these 4 day work weeks!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Good morning to you all! It is raining cats and dogs here this morning and poor Jack had to leave right in the middle of it. I always worry about him out in heavy rain as the nuts here drive so irratically anyway and sure don't adjust for bad weather.

Gail: Sounds like you had a good time with family. I know what you mean about getting worn out and we only had the one 8 year old. He is just such a live wire. He does go to bed when he is told though and behaves himself when he is with us, but sure does try and pull his moms strings. I told him he should behave better for his mom instead of pushing her until she gets mad at him. Congrats on the loss!

Susan: I have a recipe for the best vegetarian chili, but Jack won't eat it, partly because it has chunks of tomato in it and partly because it has soy crumbles, though if he didn't know he wouldn't know. It is a recipe from a vegetarian restaurant us law office gals used to frequent in Indiana and it went out of business. I found the recipe by accident online in allrecipes and was able to use their reduction thingy to pare it down to normal size.

Jean: It will be getting cooler up your way soon I imagine. They are expecting a cold wet winter from what I read. You always have good intentions about getting bigger jobs done, but that isn't what always happens. We need to put in new flooring, but to do so, Jack has to take time off and seems like the last two years his time off has been taken up with me in the hospital and the year before that with him. Thank goodness we don't get a lot of company as the floors are a mess. I just have to bide my time until we can get them done.

Well gals, I need to get my chores done. Have a good on today!
Faye

[GailR]

It's Wednesday morning and I'm sitting here waiting for my son-in-law to bring my youngest grandaughter to the house for me to babysit until 6pm. I love her to pieces, I do, but I find when I babysit on a regular basis (such as every Wednesday), it's not always fun. Disciplining her can be a trial these days. It really hurts me worse than it does her, putting her in "time-out" or taking her tv shows away from her. And she's always hungry. She's a skinny little thing for 4 years old but she wants to continuously eat...and that is not good for me because I want to eat right along with her. And she's going to be a bit put-out with me today because I don't have her favorite snacks here in the house. I have a feeling both of us are going to suffer today. And did I tell you she's stubborn. However...I am larger than she is and I will win this day. It won't be easy but I will win!

I have a feeling the other tooth supporting my bridge is going to have to be worked on. It's starting to do the same thing as the other tooth did about a week and a half ago. I'm sitting here debating on phoning my dentist or waiting until I see him on the 15th when he repairs the bridge. Lord, give me strength to deal with my mouth (and the money it costs because I'm afraid my dental insurance isn't covering as much as I would like it should).

Otherwise, I'm on program. But then again when one is afraid to put anything cold in one's mouth...or anything else for that matter, it sort've makes it easy.

I feel like I'm sitting here tapping the keys to a "woe is me" song! I'm really a happy natured person. See?

Susan, it's always a good thing to look on the sunny side of things--you're building upper body muscles for sure! Hang in there. I talked on the phone with my parents yesterday and they are also watching for the hurricane also. We all need the rain but I hate the winds. After it hits Virginia it's supposed to come on up to us here in Delaware.

Jean, I agree with you--each time we start fresh on WW it does become harder. The weight comes off slower each time. Each time, I find I have to be really diligent about the program and throw in some exercise also. Of course, the older we get and no matter what we weigh, we all need to walk at the very least.

Donna Faye, I started early today getting my chores done. I've been outside washing some of the windows on the back of my house!

Well, here she comes; gotta go...

Gail

[QuilterInVA]

Good afternoon! Get rather warm today - 88 degress now.

Jean, the CD is the same as the book. You can do it with just the workbook but it isn't as detailed as the CD or book.

Faye, I think crazy driving is a hallmark of the south. Around here the worse the weather is, the faster they drive and the more they cut in and out of traffic. Stupid!

Gail, I'm hoping Hanna gives up before she gets here. I live in the 100 year flood plain, 50 feet from the water. When Isabell came through I had water up to the back door but it didn't come in. I'm not eating any exercise points. It seems counterproductive to me.

[GailR]

ummmmm...Susan, driving in Philadelphia is like taking your own life into your hands...bad, bad, bad drivers. Even with all the terrible traffic in Virginia Beach, Philadelphia has them beat. Really.

Gail

[Jean]

Good Afternoon, Flowers! It's a cool 66 degrees and sunny in my corner of the world. I may just get another blanket out tonight; it was nippy last night with just a light weight blanket. I like to sleep with the window open as long as possible. School was "ho-hum" today; no one had any major issues that I'm aware of. My last study hall of the day only had 3 girls and they had nothing to do so sat and talked. One is definitely a "wild child" -- she goes to a neighboring small town and hooks up with friends who evidently are old enough to buy the booze. I told her if she was my daughter she would be locked in her room until she graduates. Her parents are divorced and mom has a live-in so I suppose anything that gets the kid out of the house is ok with mom. Sad!

Today is our 41st anniversary and we are going out for supper. Bob sent me flowers at school which was nice. We rarely celebrate "big" because it is also Jason's birthday, and usually always close to Labor Day weekend.

"Gma" -- I have been sneaking up on new carpet for the bedrooms for over a year now. I just hate the thought of having to move furniture around. We need a new bed so that is also in the plan when it finally goes into action. I hate the laminate floor so much that I've threatened to have the whole house done in the same carpet; I would leave the laminate in the lower hall where the front door, garage door, basement door, bedroom, and bath are. I also don't like picking out carpet.

Gail -- Well, how did your day with your granddaughter go? I hate it when I know I need to make a visit to the dentist and it is going to cost big money. We don't have insurance and the dentists around here all charge big time for being in a rural area.

Susan -- I hope Hanna misses you! I'm sending some 66 degree weather your way! We have two neighboring counties that both have 3 letters in their names. People from there drive 20 miles an hour around the lake gawking at the park/lake area, and it is a 50 mph speed limit. It is a no passing area also, but they pass. When we see someone doing something stupid it is usually a 3 letter county license plate.

Guess I will check the mail and see what advertisements we got today. Have a terrific Thursday tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[GailR]

It's Thursday morning. Very foggy. I'm hungry for breakfast but my mouth is not happy. I'm going to have to call the dentist...AGAIN...and I know I'm going to need ANOTHER root canal under my bridge. I've taken Advil but that's not easing the hunger pains.

THAT IS ALL THE COMPLAINING I'M GOING TO DO TODAY.

My husband has been after me to start knitting mittens, fingerless gloves, and other small items to sell next summer at two small town events that include a craft show. One event, my daughter and son-in-law always participate in so I can always put some of my things there just to see if they sell. This is in August so I would have a whole year. I'm really considering this. I love the process of knitting. I was thinking children's toys might be fun to make. Perhaps some knitted felted bags. Mittens. Fingerless gloves. And if they don't sell, then I know a family or two that will gladly take them off my hands.

I'm still on program--another day gone by.

Jean, happy anniversary! 41 years! Our bedroom is in dire need of a makeover--moving furniture out for the new carpet or hardwood floors we've been considering, new bedroom furniture, new sheets, blankets, new wall coverings, etc. overwhelms me. And THEN deciding on what to paint the walls--the color scheme of it all! A lot of money and a whole lot of deciding! Yesterday was a good day with the grandaughter--we went outside, we colored, we watched "Underdog" on TV. I set out a bowl of grapes on the kitchen counter where she could reach and she munched on those throughout the day. Hubby came home and he grilled outside. It was a nice day--no temper tantrums, no tears, and no stubborness!

I don't have a whole lot planned for today except phone the dentist.

Gail

[gma22]

Good morning gals! We are not done with Gustav. He is dumping more rain on us this morning. Jack had to go out in it last night and work for awhile. Some machine had tripped something and shut something else off, yada, yada, yada. The plant manager is a real idiot. A druggy from the 60's whose brain is half potted. City of Memphis provides sewage rights to Horn Lake, MS and they have some kind of way station that records usage so that the city can charge Horn Lake the fees. Well, dh said that yesterday he and another guy went out to take readings and the whole building had no power. He called back to the plant to one of the managers to call Memphis Light Gas and Water and come to find out the plant manager has not been paying the bill!! I guess now they have to rewire the whole building to bring it up to code before they will turn the power back on! So, the city loses the fees for the time the building is down, has to fork over all the unpaid electric bills and pay to rewire this building!

Gail: If you are in pain either the over the counter products like Ambesol or Orajel work pretty well or you can soak a little piece of cotton in clove oil and put in or around the tooth to relieve pain. I have heard garlic mixed with a little oil will relieve pain too. Not do much for the breath though. Ice can keep the swelling down if it begins to swell at all. Hope you are feeling better and the little one didn't wear on your nerves too much yesterday.

Susan: I'm wondering if either Hanna or Ike will hit the gulf coast around the time we go to Houston. I am hoping it will downgrade and just be rain wherever it goes. Thank goodness Gustav didn't reve up like they thought it might. We had thousands of New Orleaners here in the Memphis shelters. They transported them by train to Memphis, by bus to the National Guard Armory to be checked in so there wasn't the mess of last time family being separated then to shelters. I imagine they have started sending them back home.

Jean: We have to run our little fans at night to keep cool! lol We have the thermostat set at a certain temp and don't touch it and if it gets warm upstairs, the downstairs is about 10 degrees cooler so the ac might not kick in. It can get warm and sticky upstairs at night sometimes. HAPPY 41ST ANNIVERSARY
Ours is coming up in November, 36 years. I have to get past my 55th birthday this month first! UGH! lol


I hear the next door neighbor going to work with her car with no muffler. The darn thing can wake the dead!

Hope you all have a nice day. I am off to check out how to use my birthday gift certificate from one of the yarn stores online. They send me one every year and of course I feel compelled to use it!

Faye

[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

WOW you gals chat a lot when a gal misses a day or two or three. Where have I been. Since I don't have TV I have been watching the speaches on my computer for one thing. I need to be "informed" before I cast my vote. Also we have been having a lot of get togethers which are really great, the food thing. OH I got a new cell phone and it has all the latest bells and whistles on it. Even one of those little stilest thingies that you can point at things and don't have to use your fingers. It is trick an I still don't know all its tricks. I need to pick a time and sit down and read the booklet.

DONNA I just wonder why do they put guys like that in charge. Doesn't make sense to me but I guess they didn't take that in consideraton that it would make sense to me. We have been getting rain off and on all the month of August and it is now into September and it is still at it. Quite pleasant actually and is keeping the area nice and green. We haven't watered the lawn since we got here.

SUSAN Sounds like you are getting around nicely with your condition. Stay safe and out of those holes. I do hope the upcoming storms are kind to you.

JEAN How nice of Bob to send the poseys. That is really nice, actually super. I wish you many more years together. I feel so sorry for those "throw away" kids. They get into trouble a lot of time just seeking attention, negative because they don't think they "deserve" any positive. I worked with a lot of those children in teaching them self worth. Not an easy thing to do but some one has to do it before they get locked up. Mine were locked up so I had their attention. I miss that job, my career. Life goes on.

GAIL Girlfriend I hope by now you have found realeif for your hurting mouth. I always thought that was the wost kind of pain well back pain is pretty horrendous also. Pain is a good indicator that something is going on. I have heard of those that don't feel pain and they really have to watch them closely. Nothing hurts and nothing is hot or cold. Imagine.

I think I will now go make breakfast. I have sipped my coffee in my tall stainless thingie that keeps it HOT while posting and am now awake. I just got up a little bit ago. Well it was just 8 o'clock. Take care my friends.