Maggie -- Thank you for starting the new thread. I talked to Beth tonight and she had talked to Amanda so guess we are doing Thanksgiving on Friday instead of Thursday, which is ok with me. There were only 3 of us for lunch today and the waitress messed up 2 out of the 3 orders. The noon menu said, "Soup of the Day" and below that had chili printed on one side and loaded baked potato on the other side. I ordered first and said I would like a bowl of the loaded baked potato soup. The other two said they would take the same; they thought they were ordering loaded baked potatos. They missed the 'soup' part. It was really
delicious! This restaurant owner does a lot of catering and makes all kinds of fancy desserts -- we didn't have any dessert though.
Susan -- I haven't taken the time to open the WW scale. Do you think they would take it back? There is an IHop restaurant in Sioux City and we ate there when Ian was a tiny baby. People sitting around us got a kick out of watching him. Are you working on something new at the applique bee?
I am heading off to bed. I am filling in at the gift shop tomorrow afternoon. The buyers will be there to put out Christmas items so that will be fun. See you all tomorrow!
Just thought I would check in before going to bed for midnight is fast approaching (my bed time ) We watched a Bruce Willis movie tonight and it was good. I like most all of his movies. Dinner tonight consisted of a small bowl of that bean soup, turkey breast and mashed taters and gravy. I mixed up a packet of that turkey gravy that is only 1 point for half of it and it is tasty. I think I will get more envelopes of that and keep it on hand to eat with other servings of turkey when I thaw them out to eat. We both like turkey and it isn't just a thanksgiving thing with us. We only eat the white meat so I cook the breasts. Usually smoke them when I do cook them but this time we bought a spiral cut smoked breast and it is tasty. We do use our smoker through the year ~ good weather or not. We have it parked on the edge of the patio under the overhanging roof. Works for us. Once we fire it up we smoke several cuts of meat at a time since there is room.
JEAN I don't think there is a rule you have to have the Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Do it when the family can get together I would think. Surely the local WW will take that scale back. I returned one once without a problem at all. I got a chuckle out of the gals ordering something thinking they were getting something else. Glad it turned out to be a good thing for that soup sounds delicious.
Have a nice nights sleep Magnolias. Type at y'all later. I am off to cut some ZZZZZZZZZZZ's.
Good morning gals. I have been sitting and knitting and watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel this morning and bawling! Those kind of movies always make me tear up.
We didn't do anything this year for our anniversary. I bought Jack an Iphone and considered my Iphone a combo anniversary and Christmas present as does he. We decided to eat at home. Like I said, I made beef stew and yeast rolls.
Jean: I mix pineapple juice, brown sugar and ground cloves together and pour it over the ham then baste it from time to time. It seems to work well when you have a precooked ham. I often think about how fast the years are rolling along. Jack will only have 5 years in January and he can retire from the City. Seemed like yesterday he started working for them. The Navy seems a bit far off by this time, but I remember lots of stuff about being in the Navy.
Maggie: We keep our credit lines open so that if we have an emergency our credit score is such that we could get a substantial amount of money if needed. I order stuff at Christmas from Swiss Colony then pay it off in full. That's why they keep raising or amount I guess.
Susan: I know, I am kind of a nut about being organized, but I am a bit more scatterbrained this year to get things done. Kelly had her birthday dinner at IHOP. I don't go there because I love their chocolat chip pancakes! lol
I need to skeddaddle. I have work to get done and laundry and such and it is not doing itself. Have a great weekend. Faye
Good Morning, Flowers! It's cloudy and 'warmer' at 37 degrees today. The sun is supposed to be shining -- I wonder where it is. I'm working in the gift shop this afternoon and hope to read a couple more magazines that are taking up space here.
Maggie -- I could never stay up as late as you do! Do you sleep later in the morning? We only eat the white meat so I just buy the turkey breast also. I didn't know that they came spiral cut; I'll have to look and see if they are available. We have a 'turkey plant' here in town and lots of people get their turkeys "hot off the press" so to speak. I went in there once and the smell was really bad even in the office. That combined with the pork plant really stinks up that side of town.
"Gma" -- I was typing as you posted. Bob is going to start getting Social Security in January and for some reason I will get a raise because of his income. He doesn't plan to retire any time soon but if they raise the retirement age he wanted to be in the system beforehand. Now it sounds like they are questioning whether it is wise to raise the age limit or not. Typical -- can't make up their mind!
I need to get busy! Hope you all have a fantastic Friday and enjoy your weekend!
It is a sunny chilly still day here in the Heartland. The neighborhood dogs are all barking so I wonder what is coming down the alley. The trash truck gets them all going for sure. I am going to make a breakfast for dinner today. Biscuits, bacon, eggs and fruit. BTW that fruit safe we got sure does keep the fruit fresher longer. Everything I put into it is still looking like it was when I put it in. There is something to the vacuum sealing of things isn't there. Time for me to make another loaf of bread also. I think I have a inkling of what the new WW program will be. Since fruit and some veggies will be free frood they are counting the points on the carbs. Since potato salad is 2 points for just 1 Tbsp it shows that potatoes are an "expensive" food. Peas are 1 point for 1 Tbsp. So it is truly looking a lot more like the South Beach Diet the more information I gleen. Interesting.
DONNA FAYE I think I get a high amount of "credit" from folks like Swiss Colony because we don't have any credit cards. Some of the amounts they say I am allowed to charge is way higher then the amount that they offered when I had cards. I have one offer that in their catalogue I am able to buy a helicopter ~ maybe I should and take flying lessons. Weird ~ seems to me that they want me to get "hooked" again. Somehow they know who has cards and who doesn't for they sure offer inticing "deals" to us to get new cards. We have been without credit cards for several years now and have not needed them. Debit cards work for us ~ guess it is because it is our own money we use.
JEAN I like having a spiral cut smoked turkey breast. That way the slices are uniform and you can use little or a lot. I got in the habit of going to bed real late and getting up late when I was in the work force since my shift was 2-10. I never got to bed and to sleep before midnight for years and my body has kept up that regimen. I sleep from 12 to 8 most times now even though I have been retired for @20 years now. Wow time sure flies. There are times when I have "had" to get up earlier and I do but my normal is midnight to 8am. If I try to go to sleep like at 10 or so I can't do it. I am an evening person. It used to kill me ~ when I would work a 6 to 2 shift then do my 2-10 shift ~ to get up that early. But if I did it meant I was getting double money so it was an incentive. They would only allow us to work three double shifts a week though. Back to back to back will make you rum dumb. But the over time money was terrific ~ off to the gold market to buy gold stuff. When I was in the work force we worked a straight 8 without any breaks or lunch or dinner breaks. Straight 8 being alert. That is why they called our job a 100% stress job and sorta compensated us for it. What fun it was. One of my co-workers bought a Jaguire with using only his overtime money. I did buy some property and not just gold. See what you got when you asked about my sleep habits.
Well I must go and get some things done. My morning coffee is just about gone and I need to get the bacon out of the freezer to thaw. Life is good. Type at y'all later. Have a wonderful day MAGNOLIAS
Good afternoon, ladies! 54 degrees and sunny today.
I went to the Y this morning and this evening is lock in at the quilt shop.
Faye, I rarely get pancakes at IHOP. I get the senior Taliapa dinner and it is less than 500 calories. I don't really care all that much for pancakes. Occasionally I'll have a waffle or French Toast, but that's only once or twice a year.
Jean, They ought to just put a box out and let people pay for anything they take at that gift shop. I'll bet the stuff wouldn't even go then from what you say. Enjoy your magazines. I don't start more than 1 or 2 applique quilts a year. It takes me a long time to make one.
Maggie, I ran my popcorn through the calculator you sent us and also computed it with the formula I sent earlier today. It came out the same, 3 points for what I get for 1 point now. Carbs are expensive but I'll have 10 more daily points so I'll still be having my popcorn. I put the formula into an Excel spreadsheet and have started putting in the things I have in my pantry. I'm also going to look for the spiral sliced Turkey breast. I only eat turkey or chicken breast so that would be great if I could find it. I have a turkey breast in the freezer. I debone it when I buy one and make 4 roasts out of it so I don't have so much at a time.
I received my second coffee glass container today and it sold as it held 16 ounces and it only holds under 16oz for it holds 1 1/3 cups which is 10.66 ounces. That first one I had ordered said it held 10 ounces and only holds 8 ounces which is 1 cup. I wish they would get it right then I would really know what I am getting. They assured me when I called to place the order that it held 2 cups which is 16 ounces. Well, when I called them today to order another lid they were surprised when I told them that this latest coffee class only holds what it does and not what it is advertized to hold. They are not charging me for a second lid. It is good that the openings at the top of both of them is the same size so the lids are interchangeable between the two cups. The gals that filled my cup today at Mokas wanted to keep my container and substitute it for one of their paper models. Never seen anything like it they said. It is cute ~ brown coffee beans all over it. Anyway I like it all but the fact that it doesn't really hold 16 ounces. I really do like to know what I am ordering.
SUSAN It is good that your formula does come out the same as that other one I emailed you. Showed it is the correct formula. I am still going to buy that hand held model when it comes available. I get 29 points now with the 35 extra so I guess I'll stay at 29 and get the fourty something extra. This week so far I haven't used any of my 35. It will be interesting how my diet will change when I start using the new program.
Have a wonderful evening MAGNOLIAS Catch ya on the rebound.
Good morning to you all! Looks like later this morning we are going to tackle the deck and get it all cleaned up. That is what Jack wants to do so that's what we will do. We have bushes to trim, the bbq grill to move into the garage and stuff like that besides getting the leaves blown out, which Jack will do. There are so many that I will have to do sweeping as he blows or the piles get too high to get through. It will be a process.
I am posting this picture just so you ladies know that Spiderman gets rest so he is ready to keep us all safe! (this was taken in Mexico at Alicia's Dad's house)
We did a couple errands yesterday afternoon, then got a bite of supper and came back home. I sat and knitted and Jack went upstairs to watch the Boise State game. He is hooked on that football team. He has no connection to it other than he likes the little team. He thinks they are getting a raw deal by not getting #1 status on the BCS ranking since they are undefeated, but I noticed Wrigley Field is hosting a Northwestern game today. That should be interesting because they found the baseball field a bit too short so now they got the bright idea to only have one end zone. The two teams will continually flip flop with whomever has the ball. Another bright idea from a man more than likely!
Jean: There seems to always be something going on with SS either we are running out, the age is to be raised, changing amounts, denying COL raises, always something. It has become one of the worst protected programs the government has and has been "raped" for years and now the price is being paid for it. Jack plans on retiring in January of 2016. His 66th birthday is in Oct of 2015, but he wants all his new vacation and such from the city so he can sell it back. He is allowed to sell 75 days combo of sick and vacation time back. In the meantime, I am trying to have everything paid off because we take a significant hit in income between his job/pension and the increase in Medicare cost versus our Tricare premium. I think we figured we lose about $1500 a month. We will still be in much better shape than a lot of seniors.
Susan: We have had Christmas dinner there a couple times because it is the only place open on Christmas day besides the casinos. I remember one year we drove to Indiana for Christmas and had to travel on Christmas Day. Kelly swore that Cracker Barrel was open on Christmas Day so we thought we were in good shape for food. Well, we ended up eating candy bars for Christmas day lunch because the only places open were gas stations! Lesson learned, take food if traveling Christmas Day and IHOP is not available!
Maggie: I am like Jean, I rarely stay up that late. Usually on the weekdays I go to bed with Jack at 9-9:30 so the dog will settle down and go to sleep otherwise he will wake him up getting on the bed if I stay downstairs and watch tv or something. If I fall asleep in the recliner I just stay there rather than disturb Jack. I tend to wake up early though as you have seen when I post here.
Poor ole Jack's knees and hands have really been bothering him a lot lately. The "take ibuprophen" from that idiot doctor for his left knee doesn't work at all so he is going to have to go see his regular doctor. I imagine he is just hanging on until the first of the year so he has plenty of sick days. He has changed his mind though and decided the hand has become a bigger issure than his knee so it will probably be the thing that gets surgery first.
I guess I am going to sit and knit, then at 9 watch Burn Notice from Thursday as I fell asleep again and missed the episode. It always repeats on Saturday morning at 9! Have a great Saturday all. Faye
Good Morning, Flowers! It is cold, cloudy, and windy in my corner of the world this morning. The people came to pick up the piano and now I need to unload a dry sink and move it down there. I will keep a small lamp on it as well as the grandkids' school pictures. I need to do some laundry and work on the dust/fur bunnies.
Maggie -- We often have breakfast for lunch or supper. I think I'm not going to like the new carb points. They seem to be my favorite food. We're going to run up to the lake this afternoon. Bob wants to check his leak repair and I'm going to pick up the crockpot. I'm going to try mashed potatoes, made the day before, in one crockpot and do the turkey in the other. I think the only time I was ever a night person was when I was in college. I always had 8:00 AM classes but don't remember taking naps. I'm glad you aren't being charged for your coffee lid. I never paid much attention to weight until someone mentioned the fact that the packaging is the same but there is less inside.
Susan -- The gift shop buyers put out a lot of nice Christmas things yesterday. A lot of the items are definitely not intended for the patients that's for sure -- because of cost and size. They put together a few arrangements of candles, greenery, garland, etc., which look really nice. I have no creative talent whatsoever. I'm sad about the popcorn points but I can definitely fill up on popcorn. It is one of my favorite "go to" foods when I want to munch. Are you quilting today?
"Gma" -- I just had to at Jackson in his Spiderman outfit. That would be a good graduation reception picture. I wonder if there will even be Social Security by the time our kids are ready to retire. After so mnay years of employment, Bob's company matches what he puts into his retirement. My IPERS is for life which is nice. I make as much between the two as I did when I was working. Being considered self-employed (he's under contract and can't sell for any other company) Bob has had to contribute the "company" share as well as his own. I feel for Jack! I hope he can hang on until after the new year.
I am dressed and came upstairs to get the vacuum so I had better keep moving. Have a relaxing weekend!
Good morning, ladies! A lovely day in the middle 50s.
I went to WW this morning and I was down 3.4 pounds. Just all of a sudden woosh! I was very happy about that. I woke up at 4 am and couldn't get back to sleep so I think I'll have a nap after lunch. I'm making stuffed acorn squash for dinner.
Faye, The picture is great! So cute. I don't envy you with the yard cleanup. Makes me thankful for Scott to do it for me. I've got 2 rose buds that are opening so it looks like roses for Thanksgiving this year. Everyone is putting out pansies for the winter. I need to get some.
Maggie, that's interesting about the cups being different measurements. I wonder how they make them? You'd think some kind of a mold that would make them uniform. You'll probably get a couple more points than 29 for your dailies. The new plan is giving great results in the UK so I hope it does for me, too.
I am bummed. I have been looking for a Manx kitten for a long time and Will found three on line at a home in a town 4 miles from here. A gray striped male, yellow striped female and a totally white female. I called and she said we could come over and look. Then she called back and said they only had the white one left. It didn't look very bright in the picture so I said no thank you. We were almost out the door when she called back. They went so quick for the ad was just posted today. I am so sad. The yellow stripped one looked like April Axel Sarduchi and the gray stripped one looked like Guido Sproket Spamono (a couple Manx I had years back.) The white one was just a sickley looking siamese cat, poor thing, but it has pretty blue eyes. I never ever had such a hard time finding a CAT, of all things. I know what I want and don't want a substitute. One day. One day I will find one.
JEAN Guess the gift shop folks are targeting the wares for the visitors and not the patients ya think.
SUSAN WOW 3.4 down. You go girlfriend. Your determination has paid great dividends. I don't know how many points I will be allowed. I don't always use the full 29 I am allowed now. But on the other had when I have an extremely hungry week I use up all points available including the 35. I have had a low point week and do hope for a showing that is favorable at the scale come Monday morning. Onward and downward. I do so hope that the new WW cookbook isn't just the same with different stats as the ones for the Core and Momentum programs. I didn't know they would be the same and when I had the New Complete Cookbook with the core program and then when the Momentum program came out I ordered the New complete cookbook for that program and it was the same recipes as the other book with just the "program" pages changed.
DONNA FAYE What a darling picture. Thanks for sharing. I don't get SS because I have what is called "safety retirement" but Will does. I am so glad that I was given the choice way back to opt out of SS or stay. I opted out and am so thankful. They were saying SS was going broke those many years ago. So nothing is new under the Sun. My father didn't get SS either so my mother is better set then if he had had it. Social Security was intended to be an addition to what a person made not a total living. Most folks who get SS don't have any other income. There are millionaires that get SS.
Have a wonderful weekend MAGNOLIAS Type at y'all later.
Susan -- What a super duper terrific loss! 3.4#s that are gone forever! Where do you plant pansies? I've never had much luck with them and I put them in pots so they get some morning sun. They are one of my favorite flowers. You were an "early bird" this morning!
Maggie -- Good luck in finding the kind of cat you want. Perhaps the white one just needed some extra TLC.
We did go to the cabin this afternoon. All of the fancy homes are so visible with the leaves off the trees, so it was fun to just ride and gawk. The roof leak is not fixed and Bob can't decide whether to press his luck until next spring, or go back up to try some more "fixing." The last time he poured buckets of water on the roof while Jason was inside watching. They were so sure it was fixed when they left. He's leaving the electricity on this winter because the power company has changed their rules -- it's a $10 minimum winter charge per month, and a $75 hook up charge next spring. Hook up is by flipping a switch somewhere!
I'm off to put in another load of laundry! See you all tomorrow.
Good morning all! I had an early morning chuckle this morning. Jack went to bed before I did last night and I fell asleep in the recliner. I kind of roused when Fortune came downstairs sometime int he middle of the night and jumped into my lap, but decided to just stay where I was. I woke up at a little before 5 when Jack walked across the bedroom and I heard the bathroom door shut upstairs. When I hear that when I am downstairs it means he is getting ready for work! lol I debated whether to run upstairs and tell him it was Sunday but then said nah! I guess he figured it out. He said he was standing at the sink, had taken off his underwear to get into the shower and the light bulb went on in his brain that it was Sunday!
Boy, we wore ourselves out cleaning that deck yesterday. The leaves underneath the piles were still very wet so it was hard work getting them blown out. The deck needs a good washing, but I had to throw the garden hose away because it had two holes in it so we will have to go out and get another one so I can clean the deck well. We did get everything but the bushes trimmed. We were too pooped to finish after we got the leaves all done.
Jean: Our utility company here is installing "smart readers" around the city. They feed information back to MLGW every 15 minutes and other things. Sounds like a good deal, more efficient and such but from what one person posted to the online news source, it will actually cost more for a couple reasons that she explained but I can't remember. My mom used to plant pansies when I was a little kid. She loved those and gladiolas. Funny how you remember little things like that. Jack's city pension is 2 1/2% per year of working or something like that. I think he ends up with about 40% of his yearly income as a pension. He is fully vested now so we have no worries about his pension. I do get his pension is he passes after he retires, but I lose his Navy pension completely, which is a raw deal, but they changed the rules in the early 70's. At that time, you had to decide whether you wanted to lose a portion of your monthly pension in exchange for your spouse getting a portion, something like 30% or whatever. We added up what they would take from his monthly pension and what I would get against just giving it up and we decided to just give it up if he died. We just didn't think it was worth it. I don't plan on drawing on my SS until I am 70 if I can help it and we don't really need it. I was never employed for years and years so my SS benefits are only about $400 a month if I retire at 63 and don't increase significantly until I reach 70 so we will just wait unless we really need it.
Susan: Hurrah for you and your big loss! WTG! What do you stuff your squash with? I love pumpkin and even sweet potato, but I really hate squash of any kind. Hope you enjoyed yours!
Maggie: The kids will be here on Thursday and I am excited to see Jackson. He has really grown a lot too. Unfortunately, around the baby boomers generation on, companies quite doing pensions. Our parents generations and before most people retired around 40 and with a pension from their work. Nowadays if you don't put money away yourself you don't have anything. Back then the majority of the workforce was male too so you didn't have as many people in the workforce. Lots of things have made people lean a lot on SS.
Well gals, I am going to get out of here. I want to get the sock done today if I can and get started on Thomas's. Have a great Sunday!
Faye
Good morning, ladies! Its 60 degrees and sunny today.
Just doing housework today and addressing Christmas cards. One of the tenants at work pays me to do that for him every year. He wants real handwriting and he pays me $100 so it's a nice way to make money.
Faye, I stuff acorn squash with turkey sausage, stuffing mix for pork, a little celery and onion and bake it. It comes out really good. I made coleslaw with it. I've got a pot of cheesy vegetable soup on now. Do you have a pension from when you worked or would you just have SS if Jack goes before you?
Jean, I plant pansies in front of my house which faces south. They need lots of light. They are planted all over down here - in the entrances to negihborhoods, in the medians on divided highways, etc. They last and bloom all winter and then die when Spring comes. We can't grown them in the summer - too hot.
Steel Magnolias #55
It was really
There is an IHop restaurant in Sioux City and we ate there when Ian was a tiny baby. People sitting around us got a kick out of watching him. Are you working on something new at the applique bee? 
) We watched a Bruce Willis movie tonight and it was good. I like most all of his movies. Dinner tonight consisted of a small bowl of that bean soup, turkey breast and mashed taters and gravy. I mixed up a packet of that turkey gravy that is only 1 point for half of it and it is tasty. I think I will get more envelopes of that and keep it on hand to eat with other servings of turkey when I thaw them out to eat. We both like turkey and it isn't just a thanksgiving thing with us. We only eat the white meat so I cook the breasts. Usually smoke them when I do cook them but this time we bought a spiral cut smoked breast and it is tasty. We do use our smoker through the year ~ good weather or not. We have it parked on the edge of the patio under the overhanging roof. Works for us. Once we fire it up we smoke several cuts of meat at a time since there is room. 
Do it when the family can get together I would think. Surely the local WW will take that scale back. I returned one once without a problem at all. I got a chuckle out of the gals ordering something thinking they were getting something else. Glad it turned out to be a good thing for that soup sounds delicious.
Do you sleep later in the morning? We only eat the white meat so I just buy the turkey breast also. I didn't know that they came spiral cut; I'll have to look and see if they are available. We have a 'turkey plant' here in town and lots of people get their turkeys "hot off the press" so to speak. I went in there once and the smell was really bad even in the office. That combined with the pork plant really stinks up that side of town. 
Weird ~ seems to me that they want me to get "hooked" again. Somehow they know who has cards and who doesn't for they sure offer inticing "deals" to us to get new cards. We have been without credit cards for several years now and have not needed them. Debit cards work for us ~ guess it is because it is our own money we use. 
It used to kill me ~ when I would work a 6 to 2 shift then do my 2-10 shift ~ to get up that early. But if I did it meant I was getting double money so it was an incentive. 
They would only allow us to work three double shifts a week though. Back to back to back will make you rum dumb. But the over time money was terrific ~ off to the gold market to buy gold stuff. When I was in the work force we worked a straight 8 without any breaks or lunch or dinner breaks. Straight 8 being alert. That is why they called our job a 100% stress job and sorta compensated us for it. What fun it was. One of my co-workers bought a Jaguire with using only his overtime money. I did buy some property and not just gold.
I noticed Wrigley Field is hosting a Northwestern game today. That should be interesting because they found the baseball field a bit too short so now they got the bright idea to only have one end zone. The two teams will continually flip flop with whomever has the ball. Another bright idea from a man more than likely! 
I think I'm not going to like the new carb points. They seem to be my favorite food. We're going to run up to the lake this afternoon. Bob wants to check his leak repair and I'm going to pick up the crockpot. I'm going to try mashed potatoes, made the day before, in one crockpot and do the turkey in the other. I think the only time I was ever a night person was when I was in college. I always had 8:00 AM classes but don't remember taking naps. I'm glad you aren't being charged for your coffee lid. I never paid much attention to weight until someone mentioned the fact that the packaging is the same but there is less inside.
WOW 3.4 down. You go girlfriend. Your determination has paid great dividends. I don't know how many points I will be allowed. I don't always use the full 29 I am allowed now. But on the other had when I have an extremely hungry week I use up all points available including the 35. I have had a low point week and do hope for a showing that is favorable at the scale come Monday morning. Onward and downward. I do so hope that the new WW cookbook isn't just the same with different stats as the ones for the Core and Momentum programs. I didn't know they would be the same and when I had the New Complete Cookbook with the core program and then when the Momentum program came out I ordered the New complete cookbook for that program and it was the same recipes as the other book with just the "program" pages changed. 
