We're home! Safe and Sound about 30 minutes ago.... just taking a breather before I finish bringing the stuff in from the 5th wheel... WHEW!! Back later.

Hi everyone sry i have been mia we have had a wind storm and power outages..i was stretched out in my lift chair and crapola no power..there is a 9 volt batterie that u can use for emergencys so i was able to get my feet down..power finally came on an hr ago yay!! hoping u all are having a great day rosey

Evening all....It is raining yeeeeeeeeah! The tin roof on the lania sounds so neat and making me sleepy. Went out to dinner with the people DH bragged about my"homemade" pecan pie. So I made candied pecans. Wow did they turn out good. Sugarfree too!

1lb shelled pecans
1 egg white
2 tbs water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup splenda
2tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp clove
1/4tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl mix sugar spices and salt. Set aside. In another bowl beat the egg white, water and vanilla to a froth. Then dump in pecans and coat nuts with this mixture. Then put nuts in spice mixture and coat well. Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 250 for 1 hour. Cool and store in covered container. Or freeze. I'll check back with calorie count later. Okay...196 calories for 20 halves.

Anyway the tub went around the table everyone took a few. Then it went again and handfulls were grabbed. Even Dh was happy camper. And just laught when i admitted to never baking a pecan pie.

Welcome home, Karen. You beat the weather good planning.

Rosey....Gather you weren't home alone and got rescued from the clutches of the woman eating chair. Have you gotten exact date yet?

Bobbi...I see you peeking in. STRAIGHT UP GIRL! we still watching.

Freda...Does Retina clear up those spots?

Zoe...I promise to fedex you some sunshine this winter...promise.

Can't remember what I wanna to say about anyone else and if I go back I'll lose this post....so hugs to the rest of you. karen3

Hello everyone! It's been a good day...so glad to be home...sleeping in our own bed was wonderful! There is no place like home, you know. We got up late-ish, but I still had time to catch up with our budgeting (I left my netbook at home this trip), before we left for my dh's retirees brunch. Had a good breakfast (blueberry pancakes, bacon and OJ!)...kinda high on the carbs but we skipped lunch at least. Although I snacked on some candy this afternoon which was not good and I'm feeling the buzz now.

My dh is fixing dinner tonight, so I can continue to catch up on things around here. We are feeling the time crunch and have things to do and decisions to make about our winter trip. I'd like to just drive down to our son's for Christmas and then come back and stay home the rest of the winter so Joe can have his eye (glaucoma) surgery with plenty time to recouperate before all the yard stuff starts up again. He loves to work outside and that way he will be able to. BUT he is not sure he wants to give up his winter trip south. If we just go to our sons...we will have to get the car fixed or buy a new one. It's an old car and the fix will cost $1600-1800, so not sure it's worth it but we don't like feeling rushed to buy a new car too. We had hoped to take our time and get the best deal we can and the car we really want or as close to it as possible. So decisions, decisions...

Karen3 - I snagged your recipe for the candied pecans...love them...I'm doing very little cooking for the holidays but maybe I'll make them.

I've bought a lot of gifts online for real cheap. However we travel I have to figure out who gets what (I've just been buying without much thought!) and get them wrapped and put into a box for the trip. Also have to shop, wrap and ship the gifts to those up here before we leave too. So much to do...funny, how I used to do so much when the kids were all at home, really worked at it.. and now even this seems overwhelming!

Lynn - Glad to know GNC online carries iCool as I may have to resort to that. I was in WG today but forgot to check. I wonder whether Wal-Mart carries it too...haven't seen it in any other stores.

Hope you all have a good evening.

Hi Gramma,
I made Christmas cards for a couple of years. Decided it took too much time. Now, I limit myself to scrapbooks.


Hi Ladyinwaiting ........ I find cards much more relaxing then scrapbooking THOUGH I have to confess to spend a lot of time and a LOT of money on both hobbies ! Teehee ! Of course , I also spend time crafting when I should be out walking but I also find I am not EATING when I am busy at my table ! I can JUSTIFY anything to do with crafting !!!! LOL !

My name is because I am a GRAMMA ( 5 times over and YOUNG enough to enjoy them ! ) and I Jiggle when I move ..........

Morning.....Bobbi....if you are peeking I just figured out something for you. I woke up with a stiff neck. While sitting here decided to ice my lower back and that changed my whole posture. Am sitting here up right. And neck feels better. Try this and let me know.....k

Hi Everyone,

Starting to get ready for Thanksgiving. Cleaning my oven & making my shopping list. Next step - make a schedule for when I will make each food.

Does anyone have a tasty green vegetable dish? I generally do string beans with almonds. Looking for something new.

Lynn

A quick check in today.......I'm tackling a huge plastic storage container of years and years of photos. These are the ones that I was always going to put in photo albums but never got around to it. I'm thinking ahead and tossing lots of pictures that mean nothing to anyone but Bruce and I. (scenic views while on vacations, old friends, etc. )When we cleaned out MIL house, I spend one whole afternoon going through her photos and tossing like crazy. (I decided not to put our daughter through all that when we croak.) I'm making separate boxes for each grandkid and one for our daughter. Then I have all the old pictures of our parents and grandparents that I'm putting into boxes to donate to whoever wants them. I've been at it all day and needed to take a break.
Karen...I've been icing my back 5 times a day for the last 8 weeks
I'm very much aware of my posture now when sitting at the computer and think I have that under control. About your pecan recipe, sounds wonderful......I make sugared walnuts for the holiday, pretty much the same recipe.
Sorry, I can't take anymore time for personals. The photos are calling my name and I want to finish before I have to cook supper.
CHIO
Lynn...are you looking for a calorie friendly green vegetable or something like Paula Deen would cook full of butter?

Hi Bobbi,

Just something that tastes good. Typically, I do not like heavy sauces - I HATE that string bean casserole that is so popular. But I'm not calorie counting on Thanksgiving.

Lynn

for those of you that live south of the border where the sun is shining and it is warm ........... PLEASE send it over the Canadian border as we in the west are freezing ! As I am writing , I am sitting in front of my fireplace with my laptop trying to warm up as it is a BLIZZARD outside !!! it is NASTY !!! I did walk down to our mailbox ( not even a block away ) this afternoon just to get some fresh air ... it was fresh alright and COLD with the wind blowing the snow right in my face ! Plus the drifts are deep so I had my workout just getting there and back .... all for 4 car ads and a catalogue ! LOL ! BUT I am happy to report that I managed to get last year's winter jacket on and zipped up without having to inhale and stuff me in all at the same time ! AND my jacket actually moves on me and isn't skin tight !!!!! Now if I could get DH back to work - flare-up - it will be a not bad week ..... other then the weather !!!!! LOL !

Hi everyone..nothing new from the dr office wish they would get it together..i worked on my snow people all day..i have glitter and glue and crafty fluffs every where im almost done,,each snow family is geared with things that person likes..for instance my sisters a quliter so i made a mini quilt and a sewing basket for her's to hold..her dh is a carpenter so hes holding a tool box..then i made ornaments for their tree..its was lots of fun i made 9 familys and 45 ornaments..heres some pics so you can see them..hope your day was good (((hugs))) rosey

Those are so cute Rosey

Morning...Sounds like I need to start a new business of shipping large boxes of sunshine North. I'll send you, Gramma, a box when I send the one I promised Zoe. This is the perfect time of year down here. we lucked out with hurricane season and now with the windows open and no a/c life is good. The electric meter is quiet. But is hard to think holidays....

We lost our beautiful 9 yr old DGD on Nov 18. They took her off life support on Thanksgiving day. How's that for timing! It was 20 yrs ago, but always on this day my heart is heavy and my eyes teary.

It was in the hospital where I had worked in the ER and the ICU staff kept asking me to do things as gramma I just couldn't do. I was so proud of my kids when they elected on their own to make her a donor. The most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me was 3 months later a friend called me and said "ok i knew you have been supporting everyone else so now talk to me and dump your feelings." I wept so hard and am tearful telling you now. But I have continued this gift. In my mind I call it my Devin Gift.

Phew....thank you I had to tell someone. hugs,karen3