Good morning to you ladies! It is going to be a whopping 76 here today! It is already in the mid 60's when I got up at 5. It looks like a beautiful day outside, but I have tons to do to get ready for the kids to be in town, the holiday and the gift thing and all. I also have to make sure the house is cleaned, the baking is all done and such too. I will get it all done. Today is make a list day so I can get stuff done and mark it off. Always keeps me on the straight and narrow, lists do! lol

Susan: Actually, your squash made that way sounds very good. I find that a good quality turkey sausage with lots of nice spices is just as tasty as pork. Do you just use something like stove top stuffing or the bagged stuff? I will definitely have to keep that recipe in mind though Jack would never ever eat squash. He hates all gourd veggies, heck he hates most veggies. He is my little enigma. He hates fish, but loves salmon, scallops, shrimp. He hates veggies but loves asparagus and okra. I am much more into eating poultry than he is. I love chicken for the most part. I was watching a show on the travel channel and this woman who has a bbq restaurant made shredded turkey sandwiches instead of pork and put what she called "white bbq sauce" on them. The people raved about them. She used turkey breast and rubbed them with spices like you do pork butt then smoked them like you would pork butt then shredded it. The white bbq sauce was a blend of her secret spices, buttermilk and sour cream I think it was. You could easily make it with ff buttermilk and ff sour cream and play with spices to make it your own. I bet it would be fabulous in place of the fattier pork sandwich. I had a Vanguard account when I worked for the law firm, but when we moved down here, I had to take it all out and pay the penalty so we could live on it until Jack found a job. I really only worked to help supplement income so never had a career. The law firm was the longest job I had, which was 7 years. So, my ss will be small.

Maggie: I don't have that cookbook. I have the little paperback ones you sent me, the big WW in 20 Minutes and the older version of WW Complete Cookbook Feel free to send it to me if you like. I can always use more ideas for meals. I am not a big cake eater, thank goodness. I tend to overindulge in pastry items, like turnovers, napoleans, tarts stuff like that and I love pie if the crusts are made properly, which is rare. I also like a good cheesecake. My goodness that man could have saved himself a huge amount of grief is he had just called home. On the other hand, grandma should have told the parents she was taking him with her.

Jean: Did you like the movie "Red?" Jack and I really liked it. I am a huge Helen Mirren fan though. It had some really funny parts I think. Are you guys going to Hawaii in February? I would imagine you would be starting your process of finding out about flights and such soon. Did you read the two stories about the current "scanner" incidents with airports? There was a flight attendent who was a breast cancer survivor that went through a scanner but then they made her do a pat down. She has a prosthetic breast and the TSA agent made her take it out of her bra and the agent messed with it. The poor woman was humiliated. Then there was the poor man who had bladder surgery from cancer and had an urinary ostomy bag. He asked if he could go someplace private for a pat down and explained the situation. They originally told him NO but he begged so he said they looked at each other rolled their eyes and took him to an office. He told them that when they got to where the bag was to be careful because pushing on it or squeezing it could break the seal. Well, these jerks did exactly what he told them not to and squirted urine all over his shirt and down his pant leg. He had to fly smelling like urine and having it all over him. I am all for protecting us and have been an advocate of anything they felt they needed to do, but these agents are now going too far. I think they get their jollies out of the power they have and they abuse it. We have a scanner here in the Memphis airport. Jack pretty much has refused to fly because of all the stuff going on with airlines, baggage costs and extra costs and all the TSA stuff now.

Well, this is not getting things done and I have a ton to do. Have a great start to your week every one. Faye

Good morning gals! The dog drove me nuts all night, up and down and up and down so I kept getting my sleep interrupted. I gave up around 4:30 but he can't go outside it is pouring rain out. You can hear it whacking the deck sitting here at the computer.

I have my lists! I have one list for what I have to take to Kelly's for Thanksgiving, one list for everything I want to get done before Thanksgiving and the third is a shopping list for today to get the rest of the Christmas presents and the rest of the groceries to make Thanksgiving stuff. I guess I am all set now!

I never got the bathrooms cleaned upstairs so will tackle them early this am since Jack is not going to go to work and will get up and call in around 6:30. He decided just to go ahead and take Tuesday off too. I am actually glad as I can use all the help I can get.

I finished Jackson's sock last night so will wash them today and get them blocked to dry so I can wrap them up for his Christmas. Hopefully his feet haven't grown significantly in the last month that his mom told me his shoe size! I talked to his dad yesterday morning and ask him how my grandson was and he said he was being a brat. He went on and on about trying to make him behave etc, etc. I thought ya and I had the same problems with you only not until you were school age. I told him a parent can only do the best they can.

Jean: The article I read yesterday about the TSA business made excuses for them about the pressure they were under, etc. That just doesn't fly with me. I have no problem with the scanner, no problem with a fairly intimate pat down as they call it, but I do have a problem with the agents being arrogant jerks and a lot of them are. They have hired people with no customer service training and IMO anytime you are working with the public you need training on how to deal with them properly. These people know that the government backs up anything they do so they can act any way they like. It is pretty much like that for flight attendents too. I am not saying the majority are like that but when you have someone do what those two did with the cancer survivors they need to be written up and severely reprimanded at least. I don't know why I thought you went every year. I don't know what we are going to do next year. We usually go someplace big every other year and then take a small vacation inbetween years but haven't gone anywhere big since 2007 when we were in Vegas last. I am beginning to get nervous about booking a cruise with all the stuff that seems to either being happening on the ship itself or when you are walking around in port. I would like to go to Boston for vacation some year I think and our dream would be to go to England, Scotland and Ireland, but don't know if that will ever happen.

Maggie: Big congrats on losing 3 lbs. I think the way they have the system set up for the hotline is good. You never know what the person on the phone will be like in person so it is best that the police handle them in person. Of course there is no hurry on the cookbook at all. Believe me, I have plenty to pick from as it is. We are kind of like that about crime around here. You have a city that is 65% african american so it would only reason the majority of crime would be committed by the majority. The truth is we seem to only have crime issues with the blacks here. We will have hispanic problems occasionally, but the hispanic gangs haven't taken hold here like the black gangs have. Just the other day at a school bus stop a kid got half beat to death by other kids and not one of them was white. The parents on camera moaned and complained about how awful it is and all but then when you accuse Johnny it is all about "He is a good boy."

Susan: Hope you are having a good week.

I am going to start on T's sock now until Jack gets up since I am awake. Have a good Tuesday! Faye

Good afternoon, ladies! 72 degrees already! Spring has returned (LOL)!

I've got a miserable head and chest cold and can hardly talk. Stan would say "what's new" since I'm almost always sick at the holidays. I have Prednisone to use "as needed" so I put myself on a 5-day burst. No way I want to end up in the hospital again. I haven't been to the Y since Friday and I'm going to not go the rest of this week to get plenty of rest.

I had a sudden insight today - I can't go to my Dec. 4 meeting because I meet my friends for our Christmas lunch. It's another hour from where we are meeting. I guess I will indeed have to go earlier in the week. The week 2 WI have been good too over at the UK sight.

Faye, counting down to Jackson Day? LOL. I hope you get everything done so you can sit back and enjoy your visit. My friend Adora and I are going to see Harry Potter Saturday afternoon. I really hate to see this coming to an end, only one more.

Jean, our church teams up with the nearby Episcopal church to have a food panty, give aid to the needy, and make sandwiches for the Salvation Army. It seems to work pretty well. We also pick up brown grocery bags on the third Sunday of the month and return them on the next one. They have a list attached of the foods needed by the food bank. I have gotten away from giving food to the food bank but give them money for they can buy so much more with it. We also have an angel tree at church for gifts for needy children. This month we gave socks, hats and mittens for the needy for winter. And lastly. we have a separate collection once a month for the needy we help with light and heating bills, etc.

Maggie, WOW 3 pounds! That was great. It's does make one feel good to see the scale going down, doesn't it. I only eat half an acorn squash. I've also sliced it into rings, cut them in half and baked with pork chops. I drizzle olive oil on the squash and a little brown sugar Splenda.

Have a great day!

Good morning gals! One more day to Thanksgiving so hope you all have things going the way you need to. I am going down for the third time I think. I did get the upstairs done, but we went out to do the shopping and I got sick at Target and we had to come home so I have all the food shopping left to do this morning along with cleaning the downstairs, wrapping all the presents and cooking. Part of the cooking will be done first thing in the morning though. I am going to get up from here and start on the stuff in the kitchen. I was just in no shape to do it at all yesterday, but with some meds I feel much better this morning thank goodness. The bad thing is I was in the very back of the store when I got sick and the restrooms are all in front of the check out so it was a race to see if I got there on time.

Maggie: I love the Yankee candles, but I hate the smoke that gets on stuff especially the computer and tv screens. I don't think the no wick candles do as nice of a job with fragrance either. I noticed our Cracker Barrel is not carrying the cardboard style car air freshners anymore only the gel ones and they don't do squat putting fragrance into the car. I have seen all the Bourne movies. I like the Ocean's 11 movies too, not the middle one, but the first and third one. They are funny in parts. I am into watching Christmas movies at the moment. I sit and knit and watch. We watched "What Happens in Vegas" last night. I had seen it, but Jack hadn't seen it. It is a cute movie. I saw "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaze and Kate Winslet a couple days ago followed by "The Last Holiday" with Queen Latifeh. Those are both really cute movies. Thank you in advance for the cookbook. You didn't have to ship it so fast, but I appreciate the gift.

Susan: Here's hoping you can get your cold under control before it gets too bad. We dont' want you in the hospital again this year. You take care of yourself, stay in bed, take your meds, and read some good books! lol I am anxious to hear how you liked the new HP movie. I think we are going to go next weekend to see it. They sure have been promoting it. I even saw online a sneak peek of trailer parts for the final movie. I saw this funny video this morning of Daniel Radcliffe pretending to be doing an interview with an american reporter where he claims he is really Harry Potter and Daniel Radcliffe is the character. He tells the reporter that he was told he is good enough to play on a professional quiddich team, then gets huffy when the reporter says something about it being fake. He tells the reporter he is offended by americans always making fun of british sports and to prove it, he goes off camera and continues talking about having "broom rash" and you are supposed to be believe he shucks his trousers to show the reporter. It was pretty funny.

Jean: Wow you have been a busy charity lady lately. I am amazed about your sales, probably the most you have sold all year! lol Yikes, I have the ac on here as it has been getting into the high 70's during the day and only into the mid 60's overnight. I have the fan on in the house right now. Jack and I started out having fun getting the adult gifts for the exchange in the toy department, then I got sick and we had to hurry up and go home. I bought this cute Barbie doll set where she is a Pizza cook. she has a pizza on her hand and you can push a button and her back and her pizza spins. She also has a cash register that rings and such. It is cute. We bought this cute play dough cake making and decorating set too. Now all I have to do is get all the stuff wrapped and you know how I love to do that.

Well gals, this is just delaying the inevitable. I have got to get started on my chores or they just won't all get finished. Have a wonderful day today and if I don't get in here tomorrow, have a terrific Thanksgivingwith family and friends! Faye

Good afternoon, ladies! Only 50 degrees today. Is it any wonder people are sick with temperature swings like we've been having.

I don't have anymore cold symptoms but the elephant is sitting on my chest. Meds help and I'm doing them on schedule. I expect I'll be able to enjoy tomorrow and if I don't feel like eating much, that will be a plus!

Jean, wow you actually sold stuff in the gift shop! What a day! You are a good woman to volunteer for so many things.

Maggie, If I ate at noon, I'd be wanting another meal around 6. We'll be going to the 2:30 sitting at the restaurant tomorrow so that will hold me for the day. I checked the Canadian WW site yesterday. What a strange bunch. Their plan is starting the week after ours. The only thing about it on the whole site was a post asking for the date. No speculation, no discussion. Just an apathic bunch.

Faye, I hope you aren't getting sick for the holidays! No fun!. At least I can just lay around and take care of myself. You have so much to do. Take care!

Enjoy your day!