tag i am it=--i am just dropping in to say hello and tell cowpern --congrats on the nice gf-----what a treat for you to like her and for ds to have a fab first gf-----don't worry----like i tell you ====i always worry and so will you--i have to go back to the shop----still busy and need to take advantage of it---merry christmas!!

by the way---KIWONKERS----SO HAPPY TO HEAR ALL THE HOOPLA ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIFUL GIRL-----OF COURSE I AM JEALOUS BUT I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU AND FOR HER----I WOULD LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE TO HEAR THE AUDIO OF HER SINGING THAT APPALACIAN SONG!!!ANY CHANCE SHE CAN LOAD IT ON TO HER SPACE??

Yay for great first girlfriends. DS16 is very secretive about that sort of thing, but I don't think he's had a serious girlfriend yet.

It's crunch time cows. I guess it may be valentines cards for you.

This is the first year that I really have run out of time. I'm in a panic. Ppl wil be coming to my house tonight. I'm not ready. aaaaaarrrrghhhh. Oh well. If they wanted perfection they'd know to pass us by. There will be an adequate supply of drinks and munchies. No fancy desserts and appetizers. I will still be wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve. I will be shopping for food on Christmas Eve. And Christmas will come anyway. Can you cowsies just imagine how wonderful next Christmas will be with a baby in the house??? I can't wait.

Oh Cowper, a Cinderella for your handsome prince! She sounds wonderful.

Bagzie, I now understand how my mil could just throw all the presents on the bed and let all the kids dive for whichever ones they wanted. This happened the first year I was dating DH - there were 9 kids in his family and it was total chaos! I remember being shocked - my family was pretty tame compared to DH's. Of course there were only six kids in my family. Next year we should hire a kid to do wrapping. I kinda like Schatzi's idea, though...

Schatzi, don't give up. Try parchment paper on your baking pans, or those silpat thingies. I think the secret to my cookie baking is my old crusty pans.

I'll be back.....

Wabby, you are totally fogiven for not sending cards. Even if I were sending them, I'd say that.

DS, of course, is thinking seriously about going to the college where the gf is going. She's going Jan. 1, I think which is tooooo sad. Anyway, today in the mail, he got mail from them. "Stuff to fill out," he said, AND a page front/back on their math department. How timely.

I have to go think about that hat.

My Menstrual History (avery your eyes, Lushy!): I got my eriod P for the first time when I was on holiday with my family in Austria visiting my grandparents. I was sort of clued in and when I went to my mum she was just thrilled and told EVERYONE in sight that I had become a woman. Then she ran to the pharmacy to get the necessary items. I was mortified, of course.

Kiwi- your dd is just amazing! You can really be proud. And she does have the perfect voice for singing those Appalachian (sp?) songs. Can't wait to buy her first CD and tell people I know someone famous.

Peachy - Teen drama! How wonderful that you liked the girl right away, but how sad that she's taking off so soon. But if it's meant to be, it will work out. When does ds finish high school? Would this also be the college of your choice? Do you think you need to start leafing through bridal magazines for a mother of the groom dress?

Schatzi! Maybe it's not fabulous you, but your oven preventing you from baking those golden brown cookies? My oven always takes longer so it's hard to burn stuff, but I've done it a few times too.

Bagzieeeeeeee! Are you sellin' lots and lots of stuff?

Wabby - Aww, you're such a good hostess, Wabs, I'm sure everyone will have a lovely time. Wow, throwing all the presents on the bed sounds like an interesting idea. I haven't even started wrapping stuff, but I only have two kids so it's not like it's going to take me hours.

Cherry - Thank goodness you have such a wonderful dad to make up for the absent mom.

AND...where I come from, chicken bones actually ARE like Crispy Crunch - little brown logs of sponge toffee. No pink, no cinnamon, no chocolate. Must be a West Coast thing.

Ok, my Christmas Cows! Have a lovely holiday! I'm closing this place early, one more stop at the grocery store and I'm ready for some celebrating.

I hope each and everyone of you has a wonderful Christmas!!! 'bye!!!XOXOXO!!!

Chicken bones must be a Canadian thing no matter how they're made.

I also want to hear Kiwiette sing. Send CDs !!!!

DS is out of school in May. The college is very good. I think it would be a great choice for him. I have cousins who are alumni and who praise it and support it. This is without anyone else bringing it up .. they just love the school. So ... money is the focus for me but I think it can work.

I gave all the chocolate to DS but he's eating it and it's really mine, you know. Besides it's laying around in his room in plain sight so I'm sampling.

You have been busy busy writing and reminiscing. I can't remember what y'all know about me.
1. I was Posture Queen in 9th grade. The kid in front of me thought the placque said Pasture Queen. Let's hear it for cows.
2. I made a mean martini in 2nd grade and never thought a think of it. Preferred Gibsons, actually, because olives were better than onions.
3. Took a math course at Caltech (also in 9th grade). That may have been the apex of my academic career.

Best to all.... I don't know what you all think about the "reason for the season" but I'm pretty sure that being FRAZZLED is not required. Let's relax, count our blessings and BE blessings, OK?

Juat popping in real quick to wish you all a wonderful holiday! Wishing you all that makes your heart glad and makes you smile Mooettes!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, DARLINGS!

Hope you all have a good one, however you choose to celebrat. Or not celebrate.

Our Christmas starts this evening and the kids can hardly wait to open their gifts. Ds9 has been driving me nutz all day. I am just about to cut his hair. That should shut him up a bit.

In-laws aren't coming over until tomorrow so we have about 24 more hours of peace on earth.

I think I'm developing a cold on top of my cold. Is it possible to reinfect yourself? If it is, I've done it. Bleh. Cup of coffee and lots of ibuprofen are in order.

Advice for Schatzi: Get an oven thermometer. And only use shiny pans (you'll have to grease or bake on parchment/silpat). Dark pans burn absolutely everything you bake on them (yeah, I know, some people must have good luck with them, but I never have).

Oh Bagzie, you went and described the chicken bones...you're killing me. I am drooling. Up till now I have always thought of them in the abstract "ah those will be lovely". Now I will need a bib to control the drooling until I get some.

Gift bags! I just realized that I don't have to wrap a dingdang thing if I don't want to, I have a huge bag of giftbags! Yay!!

Good god, I have to fix a cheese plate for tonight, make dip and veggies for tomorrow, wrap all the family's gifts (hehheh in gift bags), take a shower, find something not hideous to wear and be out of here by 5:30. Not to mention all those cards I haven't written or sent.

We had the BF over last night for homemade eggnog and we had a great time. We sat around going "we should play a game" and not doing anything (the kids suggested we play Scrabble in French -- they're such geeks). I decided we were going to play Taboo because no one will ever play that with me and DDsBF is too polite to object and DD doesn't want to be argumentative in front of him, so we played Taboo. Anyway we had so much fun, it was a non-stop hoot. We were all hoarse by the end of the evening. The homemade eggnog was eggcellent.

Ohh, yes, Sugar, I think you can re-infect yourself. I've taken to washing my hands incessantly when I have a cold. Good luck, I hope you can enjoy the celebrations!

It's already Christmas in SugarPlum land! Well, Christmas Eve at least.

A Happy Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

Merry Christmas My Cowfriends---you Are All Lovely And I Love You All!!! Xoxoxoxo Santa Is Coming Tonight!! Xoxoxo Off To The Gift Bags And The Eggnog And The Rummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Good morning all you sweetiecowpies. I woke up this morning in love with the word!!!!!!!

This is written in cyanide, my fav poison from when we made our own color names.

I HAVE FIGURED OUT SOMETHING

BAGZ MUST LEAD US TO THINDOM. She is only thin person here. IF I wanted to be led to neatdom, I'd pick Shots or Painty ... but who cares about that, I want to be cute and sexy like Bagz. Soo.... Bagz tell us what to do. What is the menu??

I also want Kiwi's hair so she can lead us to that. the poison names did not workkekekekeke

These things are on my mind:

1. Emailed my friend who is acting weird since being dumped by internet guy. She replied she since met another internet guy and in going three states away to spend the whole New Year's weekend with him. Disturbing. She's over 50.
2. DS's gf has given him some stuff (not much) that she doesn't want to take to college with her. Appears she doesn't consider the house she lives in as her home. She's going to college early to get away from it. I'm worried about HER and about HIM. Worried how he'll deal when she's gone and worried why she's not with her parents and if she feels uncared for by adults.

DS got up early (8:00), showered and left. I asked where he was going. "to town." What town? No answer. Was he going to see gf? Maybe. I am meeting him (and her I hope) at 1:00 for a walk on this board-walk-over-a-swamp near where he works. I am bringing hot cocoa because I am the mom.