I just know that I will be the envy of all you girls with the fabu present hubby bought for me. Are you ready for this? Are you sure?

A Bug Wand.

See, I knew you'd all be jealous. What is a bug wand? It looks a lot like a Star Wars Light Saber....except it's a tube with a cap on the end, a battery-powered vaccum in the handle...are you getting the idea yet? You turn on the switch on the handle, producing suction....aim the wand at said bug and suck it into the tube...replace cap...dispose of bug at leisure.

Am I the luckiest girl alive or what? Actually, he put a lot of thought into it, knowing how I hate bugs and hate killing them even more....and he no longer will have to run to my rescue. I did tell him I will be presenting the Bug Wand for emptying to him, though.

Thankfully he bought some other lovely presents, as well.

ellis, hun...have you escaped the nasty stomach bug your DH had? I hope so!

Flower, I hope all is going well with your move!

What a *cool* present Wildfire! I want one now for the mutant spiders I keep finding in my house!

Sorry to post n' run, but it's so windy here that I've been up since 2:45am and our lights have flickered a few times - probably best to not blow up the 'puter!

Toodles for now!

Terri

Wildfire, that is the coolest gift!! I want one, too!!
Yep... missed out on the stomach flu, thank you. But I've just developed a cough. And I've been socializing FAR too much, and can feel "nervous breakdown mode" coming on. In January I'm going into seclusion. And in February. Don't anybody call me. Definitely don't knock on my door. I may be holding a weapon.

Love to all... hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Back later... going to play a computer game before doing more damned socializing.
xoxo

Ellis - glad to see you escaped the flu! I feel a hibernation mode coming on too.....January is usually good for that.

Maybe you or Ruth or Mauvais have heard of Camp Otterland on Otter lake halfway between Kingston and Ottawa? My mother's cousin is recommending it for DD for 2 weeks next summer.

Wild - a bug wand sounds cool - you wanna hear something amazing? we've been living in this house for 6 yrs and I've never seen one bug here. It's very strange. We get lots of squirrels though. They jump over the deck and peer through the sliding glass door - usually they're looking to torture the cat or beg for crackers!

Hope you all are having a nice holiday. Santa brought DD an electric organ. If I hear "Fur Elise" one more time........



I received a handmade bracelet that DD purchased from a Cambodian neighborhood in L.A. - It is unique and pretty - oh and a new Sonicare! he he

The best part was staying inside napping and eating goodies and not having to be anywhere or do anything.

Thinking of you all - Terri

I'm with YOU Ellis. Had my annual after-Christmas shopping/luncheon spree with MIL and AIL (aunt in law). It was fun, but mostly involved watching AIL try on teeny tiny clothes and buy them. I AM SICK OF BEING BROKE AND FAT!!!!

Wildfire, we are all going to be jealous of your Bug Wand in a few months! You will be regal AND supremely powerful, fearing no yucky insect (unlike me, cowering at the sight of anything flying around outside!)

We seem to be spending a lot of time sitting watching movies on TV surrounded by bowls of cookies and candy! So I am online keeping my hands busy.

What remains of the d*** trifle (full of chocolate, raspberries & cream!) is now in an opaque container so I can ignore it until it is gone - it has been in a glass bowl and by golly my finger has been in the bowl a few times!

I am trying to get out an walk a little each day and in January I had better do some toning exercise...there's a whole lotta sagging going on!

Take it easy dear friends...Ellis I hear you! I am going to need a vacation after this vacation - I keep trying to leave the house to be by myself!

Lidian

I should have known my Alternachick pals would appreciate the Bug Wand! I expect it will come in quite handy this spring when all the creepy crawlies wake up again. I did tell hubby that I'm STILL not going near one of those alien bugs! Found another in the bathroom sink a month or so ago....man, they just give me the heebiejeebies.

I am SO done with Christmas and the food it brings. I grazed all day long yesterday...gave myself a headache...and I am starting fresh this morning with a food journal, lots of water, and exercise!

This is gonna be our year, girls....we're all gonna be well on our way to goals (if not there!) by summer. We all know WHAT we have to do, WHY we want to do it....the question is only WHEN are we going to!

I'm starting today. Wanna join me?

Just checking in. We are still celebrating Christmas - too many drop-ins but I'm not yet ready to pull in the welcome mat.

Funny, this was the year I had to take it easy, we've had tons of company but it has seemed effortless. If people are hungry, I just haul out a hunk of cheese, some crackers, walnut and apples and we "fress". There is not one speck of Christmas baking in this house but the Laura Secord French Crisps are taking a bit of a beating. I'm going to stop offering them around and break out the Pot Of Gold ones which I hate.

Tomorrow morning we are going to Ottawa to see my son, DIL and GD Tayler. It'll be lunch which is great because I detest night driving. Don't worry, Ellis, we won't drop in! Let me know when your Janaury hibernation is over. My nephew bought a house on Lebreton which is near you and I may be in giving Auntly advice.

Off to do the dump run - what a thrill! Harry's too sore and creaky this morning so I get the pleasure.

Have a good Fourth Day of Christmas!

Oh Ruth, I love Laura Secord French chocolate mints....the French crisps are the crispy mints aren't they? Yum....The cheese & crackers are are great way to entertain without baking up lots of stuff.

Wildfire, I'm with you! I joined a 4 week challenge on the Support board and I claimed I was gonna lose 6 lbs by January 25 (ho ho ho!)...so I had better start drinking water, exercising and laying off the mini Reeses of which I had 2 last night (they were very nice but after one taste I was ready to eat the lot! )...

I am ready to move on from the holidays...I think we are all driving each other crazy with all the endless togetherness!!

Lidian

Ldian, I like the mints too but the French Crisps are like tiny Score chocolate bars. You either crunch them or let the chocolate melt off and then suck the hard centre. Sigh! That reminds me, I have not had my ration today!

They sound wonderful, Ruth - I love crunching on TasteTations so I would crunch my way through in no time!

I remember finding mini Laura Secord bars on sale back in the 80s at the drugstore and buying about 20...once or twice! I got through them quite quickly! In those days I used to buy me a big Tobler bar almost every day, and they are 800 calories apiece (the kind with the praline or other creamy fillings). And Swiss cheese crackers. And I lived on Ramen noodles in my dorm room - the ones that are loaded with palm oil! (I didn't know about that, then)...

Lidian

BLECHHH! no more chocolate!!!

Items I currently have in my house:

1/2 box Lindt chocolate truffles
1 box orange chocolate wafers
1/2 box Cadbury's chocolate fingers
1 box mint wafers
3 Terry's chocolate oranges
1/3 box of chocolate dipped shortbread
1 bar of Frye's peppermint cream chocolate
1 bar of Frye's orange cream chocolate
1 box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates

plus:

1/2 bag licorice allsorts
1/2 tin dutch butter cookies
1/2 package of ginger cookies
1 large bag jalepeno chips
1/2 tin spicy peanuts
1 tin peanut brittle


WAH! How am I supposed to stick to my eating plan with all this in my house????

Eat 'em and get it over with.

So if you hear your doorbell ring and find an abandoned basket of chocolate on your doorstep you'll take it in and give it a loving home, won't you Ellis?

Yeah. My loving stomach.