Morning ladies, I woke up at 5:30 what a pain. Rainy and nasty here this morning.

Sposed to be like this for th next few days, got most of my shopping done yesterday and got the stuff to send off wrapped and ready!!!

Pooky, what a darling card, you have so much energy!!!!

Well I must gt ready for another day at work, our Christmas party is tonite, should be interesting.

Have a great day all!!

Hiya, Pooky2 and the Sleepyheads!

It's rainy here too but it's an "at home" day so I don't care. As I go to the hosp for that quickie op tomorrow, I have Christmassy stuff to finish today. The children's school concert was delightful so I am really in the mood to finish decking the halls.

Yesterday Morna told me that I will be getting my puppy from Hershey's litter on Dec. 26! I was kind of thinking mid-Janaury but the little critter is ready to come here and bond. Gotta scurry around and puppy-proof the back room and kitchen. I am sure that Lucy will have a few accidents and tile is a lot easier to clean than wall to wall pale green carpet!

Bought at least 24 boneless chicken breasts on sale yesterday. That should keep me OP for a while. I will be using most of them for our family dinner on the 23rd but will be experimenting with make-ahead today before I freeze them. I need something I can just pop into the oven and bake while we swill our Scotch before dinner. I'm thinking Parmigiano-something.

Have a great day!

Good (dark) Morning!

Well, the wind has changed to the Northwest and is howling past my windows -- time for cocoa, a good book, and a nap.

NOT.

DH got me up at 4:30 this morning so I could coffee w/him before he hit the road. Isn't that sweet? Sleepless in Iowa.

I've finally accepted my financial fate as far as gifts go and I'm having some fun thinking about little things that might mean a lot. I got the idea of theme gifts from some daytime program -- for example, for my best friend, I'm getting a gratitude journal, a nice (as in cute, but inexpensive) pen, and a small, scented candle. The program talked about thinking about what you want to communicate to the person you're giving something to. I am so BAD at gift giving (I really think it is an art form that I just have not mastered!) -- but this feels like it's making a little more sense to me. I hope it makes sense to the people who are getting the gifts!

So, to quote one of the gift-giving heavyweights -- It's a Good Thing! (Well, I think it's a good thing, I'll let you know!)

I'm off to grade papers...

Have a great one. It's a gift!

Sooner

Good Am Kids,

Its raining and cold here too. Gonna stay in my jamies all day and clean if the baby will let me lol.

Other than that its the same old s*** different day lol. Ohhh my diet ??? whats that....every day I try is every day I fail.......oh well BUT I won't give up.

Now where's my coffee...............

Have a good one.

Love Leens

LEENIE! OUT OF THOSE JAMMIES BEFORE TIPPY GETS IN HERE! You will feel so much better dressed and will be setting a good example for Gracie.

I am not exactly a rip-roaring diet success either but we are both still trying. As my Mum used to say, "Have you ever considered just pulling yourself together?" I hear her lots from back in the dark corner of my mind. Even a cherry chocolate or two doesn't shut her up!

Let's have a coffeee together and then get with it!

Only time for a quick Howdy! I am off with Mom and Jiff to meet a friend of Jiff's who has helped her a great deal the past few months. Jiff's buying so who am I to argue?

Mailed my cards this morning! yippee!

Chickadee....you and Soonerella ARE twins...and I would never ever diss red heads because I think that in a couple of weeks I may very well be one!!! AND I'll be VERY proud of it too!

Speaking of red heads...I think that Debkay is occasionally one too!!!!

I am almost all wrapped and ready except that I have nothing for the big kids stocking...how did that happen!!! Now I have to do some baking (mostly gooey bar cookies) and get ready for our trip...I am so excited about going!!! oh yea...the tree, and cleaning and all that good stuff. OY!

Have a good one!

peach
ps...gratitude journals are great! They help to put things into perspective especially when I am PMSing...which seems to be more and more often!!!

Hi,

Haven't been OP in what seems like ages. Started the Atkins fat fast today & plan to do it 3 days per week from now till the week of my birthday (January 11). That gives me 5 times so hopefully I can drop a good bit of weight between now & then.

Feeling really depressed right now: I've gained weight, my job sucks, holidays, etc. I'm hoping being back OP will give me one less thing to be depressed about.

Hope everyone is well. Take care.

Jennifer

Hi...late entry...computer was down this am...trouble with the server...not alot new...clean up day today and then babysitting my girlfriends two children while she attends her eldest's school concert....back to work evenings Friday and Saturday and then off until the 20th, so should be able to get things organized nicely over the next few days....so far all is quiet with the gall bladder, will keep my fingers crossed....

jennifer...sorry to hear you sounding so blue
peach pit you are sounding bubbly and energetic!
ruth I love your mom's expression...what is her sign...I am guessing Aries or Leo...some strong sign!
Leens I love staying in PJ days.
Sooner or later...don't be so hard on yourself, your gift giving sounds great! I love all the things you mentioned!
Scooby have fun at your Xmas party.

Hey anybody else having trouble with ICQ? Can't get mine to work.....

Hi Everyone,
SOONER Now you're scaring me! Why, yes, I do have a passle (that's my version of hill billy talk) of cousins in Missouri, but they're originally from California. Hmmm...

Liz Take care of yourself. I've never had that particular trouble, but it sounds painful! Sending cyber hugs!

Peachie How's the bum? Not the husband, your..well, you know! No splinters? And, go red girl! Go red! We have a certain sparkle that just can't be put forth by any other shade, huh Sooner. I personally think MamaJ should go red too. In my imagination, she's a Sister of the Red. I'm not surprised at all that Ms. Debbie has bouts of red. I expect nothing less!

Sue Thanks for the link. I'm going to go exploring with it. I'm kind of bummed because my weight loss is crawling along right now despite my best efforts. I WILL NOT GIVE UP though. I have cheated only twice since September and they were pretty much planned days off, so I figure my body's adjusting. If things don't start moving a bit more quickly after Christmas I'll start tweaking. And, yep, I'll PM you if I need help. Thanks!

I am listening to my new Michael Ball CD right now. Any buy who can use the word "plebian" so wonderfully in a song has my heart!

Your busy, water-retaining friend
Chickadee

Leenie, dress up right now. Jammies are for sleeping or sex! And turn off the boob tube. It's usually mindless, brain numbing crap! There! Now you can spend more time in the chatroom or posting here!
Nothing special happening here. Am tired and lack incentive today. DD Zookeeper got her new sewing machine and we're both dying to hit the fabric stores! I refuse to go in them right now as they are full of Christmas junk and crazed customers! I wish this Season was over with and the stores would quit forcing me to listen to those carols! If you are thinking that Tip is a scrooge, you're right! I think Christmas is way over done!
Take care and God bless!

OK I'm tired and I'm finally resting!

It was pretty foggy and gloomy, grey and drizzly--YUCK! I want a good old fashioned snow fall to put me in the Christmas spirit!

Today's project was re-covering my dh's pool table. Had that nasty 70's faux oak veneer stuff (yeah you guys know what I mean) so I used some spray adhesive, quilt batting and some sleek black fabric I found for a steal at Walmart and voila--no more ugliness in my house! Also found a great mirror and a clock that are made from black wrought iron. My basement sure is coming together furniture wise too. Found some grand steals shopping at the Sally Ann and got 2 chairs, a loveseat and an ottoman--grand total $27!!!!! Dh thinks I'm the queen of shopping. Now all I have to do is buy the fabric and I'm on my way...

And thanks for the compliments on my room--I'll show you a pic when I'm done the re-covering!

Tippy, you need to get the spirit worse than me! Take a Christmas card and stare at it for 5 minutes and appreciate the details. Then I want you to think of all the happy moments you had when you were a child at Christmas. And I want you to get some sugar cookie smelly candles and light them. Think that should do it!


JHP hon, don't despair and don't buy into the Christmas is too stressful and life is too stressful stuff. March yourself over to the music store or some new age shop or what have you and get some meditation CD's and FORCE yourself to do some yoga! I swear, it works for me when I've got the negatives running through my mind!

Leens, don't stay in your jammies! it is the first step and surefire way to endupin a deep depression. I was making the same mistake too when Miree was small--sometimes I wouldn't change for days (trust me I did shower!). It landed me in the doctor's office being diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Not getting dressed is a slippery slope to worse things to come!

Sooner, I did the same thing with gift giving this year. I made them all. I couldn't affford all the great stuff the stores were offering so I improvised. Everyone is getting a photo album that I covered in fabric and decorated with ribbons or bows. Grand total for each album--$10 but looks like $50!

Speaking of gifts, glad you guys liked my cards so much--they are a mini version of the photo albums

Pooky!!!!! I love spray adhesive!!!!!!! The best thing since fabric glue!!!!

You are amazing!

and yes Chickadee...I did in fact have a few shards!!!

peach