Mary, I know what you mean about getting pants to fit. I have always had problems but since my surgery it's worse. My hips, thighs and butt are small, but my belly and waist are big. I have to find them to fit my waist, then they are always baggy in the butt. I don't bother with tailoring. Most women have bigger thighs and butt, and pants are made to fit them. These elastic waist ones I have fit me better than any I have had for a long time. I also wore some that had the elastic on the sides but I don't see them anymore.

If you find the refrigerator you want online, you should be able to order it in white. I agree that repairing your old one might be a better choice since you won't be able to get a bigger one. We have a small kitchen and nothing but a standard size fits.

I feel guilty that I mentioned DH having a bigger pocket in his incision, but I guess it's better to know about it than to have it heal wrong. I hope it heals quickly for him. You will probably be a lot gentler with him than the doctor would have been. When I went to my surgeon, his PA is the one who really made it hurt. I would be sore the rest of the day after seeing her.

We only buy one Christmas gift....for my grandson. We always had so much trouble picking out gifts for our children and their spouses that we started giving them cash. I know that's really not in much of a Christmas spirit, but this way they don't have to worry about returns. And they usually give us gift cards. Our Christmas is relatively quiet. I don't have dinner. I have a ham for sandwiches and potato salad...dips and appetizers, finger food for snacking. I bake a lot of cookies and send them all home with my guests. Thanksgiving is the big day at our house. After my MIL passed away, everyone started coming here.

I hope your back feels better. Mine was hurting during the night and I was up early this morning.

Good Morning GG'S. We have a no frills Kitchenaide fridge. Bought it last year at a designated appliance store, a mom and pop place.
I do not own a single pair of pants. I do not wear pants. HOWEVER THIS YEAR i TOOK A PHOTOT oops of me wearing my 13 year old daughter's jeans. Just to see how it looks. Way too provocotively sexy. I might by a pair of jeans just to wear around the house for my husband. But never in public.
My doctor did not understand how I lost so much weight. She thinks my blood pressure is too low and that I nned to see a cardiologist! LOL. She should see me in Zumba and kickboxing class. I have stamina like a woman half my age..but I did get the referral to see a varicose specialist , so hurray!

Lucinda, you are a very small woman and I think it would be natural for your blood pressure to be low. If you have never been to a cardiologist it would not hurt to go. When I turned 50 my PCP sent me to a cardiologist simply because I had turned 50. It ended up that I did have cardiac problems that were discovered by the cardiologist, even though I was not having symptoms. I think it was because of this precautionary measure that I never had a heart attack, even though I had blocked arteries. The zumba and kickboxing classes are both very good for your heart, and I really doubt if you have cardiac problems if you are able to do that. This is entirely up to you.

Good for you for getting the referral to the varicose specialist. He will get you all fixed up and you will be very happy!

Good morning GG! Its a rainy and gloomy day but it is warm and comfy inside. I slept good with very little pain last night, so thankful. Today my dh will check the fridge and try and determine the cause. We also have a drawer...we call it the meat drawer..in the middle that doesn't close easily. I thought it had just gotten sticky so took it out and washed it, but that was not it. Nothing is caught or anything I can see but I do notice that there is a plastic bar on one side that seems loose. So I'm thinking that is causing it. So want him to check that too if he's up to it. He brought it to my attention that if we do not get that drawer shut good the outside door may not shut properly. That could cause the condensation I guess. I'm just learning all this stuff. I have never left the door open that I know of but I realize now that I am not always getting that drawer completely closed so it may be the problem. Funny thing is now that I've looked at all those modern fridges in the store, it seems a real hassle to have to bend down to look in my fridge! How quickly we humans become spoiled! But I still don't want to spend the money if I don't have to.

Lucina - For about 4-5 years I never wore pants. It was due to another physical problem I had at the time. I got really tired of wearing skirts during that time but now I enjoy them again. I still like to wear pants esp during the colder months though. I wear mostly long skirts and pants now. When it's warmer I wear shorter skirts (knee length) and pants. None of my pants are sexy. LOL Don't think I could look sexy if I tried or only to my dh at least. I think he still sees me the way I used to look most of the time. But I know what you mean, the way the young woman dress these days is all about sexy. I was watching this young woman on the TV the other day and she looked very pretty wearing a very snug dress that cupped her bottom before falling to a normal length. I was thinking if a dress fit that way on me, I'd get a bigger size, thinking it was too small! But then I thought pants fit that way so whats the difference I don't know..just can't imagine me wearing that dress. Glad you got the varicose referral.

Carole Sue - No don't feel guilty. It was something I didn't know about and was good to know just in case. I cannot see it at all...so just point the packing in that direction and then fill in the rest at the end. What I see looks less deep now. This morning I noticed a hard spot about size of dime only thicker on one side and there is a hard line extending out about an inch or so. The skin looks very shiny on it. At first I thought it was wet but it wasn't. Another thing I don't remember dealing with as a nurse or with any of my surgeries but I googled it and saw it is common. So I'll just watch it and call if I get more concerned. Your Christmas sounds very casual and comfortable. That's the way ours is these days. This year will be more effort but I'm sure it will be fun too. Just will pray for strength and grace. I have always served a snack like meal on Christmas eve so I'm sure that will be true this year as well. Christmas morning will be pancakes probably as usually the kids like them. Then I'll make something to take to my dds for her dinner. Can't think about that yet.

When I was at Costco I picked up a mix for Red Lobster cheese biscuits so I'm going to make them and take to our dds for Thanksgiving too. Sounded good and most people like them. Don't want them here at home..they would not be safe so hopefully they will eat them all.

Well need to get things done today...we've been running around a lot recently and my house shows neglect. You all have a good day! Where are you Love2Garden and Judy?!! Hope things are going well with you.

Mary, I used to bake rolls for Thanksgiving but DH always wanted them baked fresh and there was not enough time with everything else going on. Last year I bought some dinner rolls and also baked some Pillsbury Grands Biscuits. They went over big. What didn't get eaten, people took home with them. So I will probably do that again this year. The Red Lobster Biscuits are good. Several years ago there was a recipe circulating for them.

On Monday a tech from the cable company is coming to install our new modem they said we need. Our old one is working fine, but they said it is outdated. DH has tried for the past 4 days to install it, but after he gets it all hooked up we don't have any phone service or internet service. When he calls them, he calls from his cell phone, and they want him to get online so they can see what is happening. They don't seem to understand that with the new modem, it doesn't let us get online. It keeps saying "Server Not Found." When we hook the old modem back up, the internet and phones come back on again. They said if the problem is something we are doing wrong we will have to pay for the tech to come out. If it's their problem, we don't pay. Whatever. I just want to be able to get online. LOL

I asked dh to check the fridge temps yesterday and found the freezer is great but the fridge is too high in most places. It would not get below 47 in the middle and bottom. When I googled it I get that it should be below 40 although dh was taught 45. So I shopped online last night and wrote down item and model# and we are going shopping today. One problem I can live with but do want the temp to be right. Dh also tested in the night and it held at 44 (he tested a different place each time he got up), but then the door was only open when he tested so that means it will always be higher during the day and also th setting was on the highest.

I ordered a couple nightgowns from Pennys online and they came the other day. At least nightgowns are easy to fit. It is fun to have something new even if only to sleep in.

Carole Sue - I hope you can get that new modem working right. I have had my company tell me I needed an updated one too a few times.

Hi to everyone...Lucinda, Love2Garden, Judy and others who pop in now and then. Post when you can.

Good morning all,

I'm sorry that I haven't posted for a few days. I've had a few busy days.

Friday, we went to Maddie's school for their little Thanksgiving celebration. We go to these things a lot of times because her mom is not able to go because of work. There are other grandparents there too, so I guess quite a lot of the moms aren't able to come. Then Jason invited me to ride along with him to an appointment.

Yesterday we did the groceries and some other errands. We try to do as much as we can in one outing instead of making lot of little trips out. It makes for a long day.

My eye is hurting this morning. It hurt some yesterday. I worry that because I have diddled around so long ~ mostly not being able to have some self control of my eating ~ that it is finally catching up with me and affecting yet another part of my body.

Gotta get some stuff done today. Next week, we have Maddie every day all day ~ school vacation.

Hope you all are having a good weekend.

Good morning GG! Sitting here drinking my breakfast before getting ready to go to church. Yesterday we bought a new fridge. It will be delivered on the 28th. I think it is more cu ft than what I now have but because it is a different design (french doors with bottom freezer), it's hard to see that. It is the best design we found in the size and money range we wanted though. Hopefully it will fit ok when they get it here. They will take away our old one too. We have a small old one in the garage we use for overflow and it actually works better than the one in the kitchen right now.

It is getting close to Thanksgiving. Can't believe how the time flies. So glad I don't have to have the big dinner here. Even though there will be too many carbs there for a diabetic, at least my dd is health conscious. When I'm with her I don't overeat so much. And at her house I can just relax and be thankful.

Glynne - Been thinking about your eye. I have mild but annoying pain around and sorta in my eye and it is r/t dry eye according to my opthalmalogist. It just started maybe 7 years ago or so when I was having some other eye issues and has continued to show up every now and then. I would never have thought it was dry eyes. I always thought dry eye symptoms were more like scratchy, uncomfortable feelings, no tears etc. my dh has that but mine is not that way at all. If it continues you should see your eye doctor. I use eye lubricating drops at least twice a day now but when it's bad I use them more often. My doc said not to wait until it hurts, take it routinely and doing that has helped me. Is your bs high? Even with my new med mine is way too high at times, and I too often don't eat right. I am scared of it affecting my eyes too. I see my opthalmalogist once a year now. When I had problems with iritis it was much more often, sure glad that is over. Lets you and me really try to get our eating under control. It's easy for me to say that now in the morning...as the day goes on it get harder...but for our health sake we really need to do it!

Mary, I have a french door refrigerator and I love it. Even before, we had a bottom freezer. I don't like bending over to look in the refrigerator. This way, it's all at eye level. Just my preference. I really do not like side-by-side.

I have been hosting Thanksgiving for the past 8 or 9 years. Now I have a new sister-in-law who brings a lot of good things, like broccoli casserole and sweet potato casserole. I just have to do the turkey and stuffing, and mashed potatoes. The younger girls bring desserts. I don't have trouble with the carbs. On Thanksgiving, I allow myself 1 carb selection. I can have potatoes and rolls anytime, so I have some stuffing. I like stuffing, and I don't have it throughout the year, so it's a special treat. I also don't eat sweets, or maybe I will have a bite or two of a dessert, but it's something I can easily go without. I am much more likely to eat second helpings of dinner before eating dessert. Everyone who comes to my house likes to take leftovers home, so the only thing we have around the next day is some leftover turkey that we use for sandwiches.

Gayle, I never thought of dry eye when you spoke of your eye pain. That could be the cause. If it continues, you should see an eye specialist.

Mary, Mazel Tov on getting a new fridge! I have a fridge that has the french doors and freezer bottom too! It was reasonably priced and does not do anything fancy.
I am excited about ALL MY CHILDREN being here for Thanksgiving. THank YOu God in heaven !! I am ready to hug them all into my bosom and smother them with over doses of mother love. Of course they all tower over me and won't stay still long enough to let me hug them to my hearts delight...

Lucinda, that's great that all your children will be home for Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a blessed day.

The cable guy came and went. He had problems setting up the new modem, so it was not our fault and we won't have to pay. I hope we don't have any other problems with it. It has WIFI built in, but we are still using our own router for now. At some point I can remove it and switch to the cable WIFI if I want to.

Carol Sue, good to hear that the cable is fixed at no cost. We get so used to the electronics that doing without is very uncomfortable. We received new modem that Hughes Net installed. Disappointed that the speed of internet is still slower than they advertise. With Router, my daughter can run her business from her office in the next room.

Re: Wearing pants. With bunnions, etc I wear only walking shoes that look dumb with a skirt. I wear pants to all functions. Wish I didn't need such large pants. My waist is 14 inches smaller than my largest part of butt/hips so I often put darts in the back to get better fit. Sometimes I can find jeans that are made to come close to fitting right.

Thanksgiving cooking. For the first time DH has decided to take over cooking turkey with his mother's Polish dressing like I did for decades. We'll see. No 22 to 24 pounder this year, going for more like 12 to 14 instead. We prefer dark meat, wonder if we should just cook turlkey legs if available.

Surprising 72 Degrees outside with strong winds blowing neighbor's leaves in and out of the yard.

I think I spoke too soon about the modem being fixed. We went to the store and came back and our phones are out. Internet is OK, though. DH tried to call the cable company and couldn't get through. I wonder if the weather has a line down in the area. We had some 60 mile an hour winds this afternoon. DH was sitting out on the deck because it was so warm. I heard a weird noise and looked out and DH jumped up and ran. The wind had cracked a tree that was up on the hill behind our house. It fell to the left, toward the neighbor's instead of coming down into our yard or toward the deck. DH will have to take the chain saw up and cut up the tree.

Love2garden, I like dark meat and so do my step-children and spouses. DH likes white meat. Actually, I can eat either one. I cook 2 12 lb turkeys instead of one big one because they are more tender, cook faster and I get more stuffing and more dark meat that way. This year I couldn't get 12 lb turkeys and have 2 14 lb turkeys. Everyone loves to have leftovers to take home so I cook an overabundance of everything. When my MIL cooked she kept her leftovers, so I usually cooked a small turkey for us so we would have leftovers for the weekend. We heat it up and pour cream of mushroom soup over it for gravy. Yum!

71 today....God has blessed me greatly! Wonderful husband, four good kids, with two fantastic spouses and 8 grandchildren.....who keep my prayer life healthy!

I had hoped to reach 20 pounds by today but think my body has found its set point at 16-18...

Happy Happy Birthday to you Deelou ~ hope you have had a wonderful day.