G'day all,

Thank you for putting me straight about Burl Ives Trudy. You are right about my son, he is also pleased that we spoke with his ex. I was at his place this morning to attach some lining to the curtains in their bedroom. DS's fiancee is a police woman and when she is on night shift, needs to have the bedroom fairly dark so she can sleep during the day.

Slavika xmas shopping.... I don't even want to think about it! We have decided to buy an outdoor setting for our dd but we will have to wait until their small backyard has been paved etc. At the moment it is a bit of a dustbowl whilst they are waiting to get the paving done.
I think ds and his fiancee will miss christmas this year as there wedding is the very next day.

It has been a very hot day here, supposedly a cool change coming in early this evening. I have been picking my roses and drying all the petals for the wedding, I have a fair few now. The roses at this time of year are just superb, some of the gardens in my area are just stunning. Melbourne and Adelaide have beautiful rose gardens, the climate must just be right. Roses in Sydney do not do all that well.

Not much more news here

Cheers
Maria

Karen is this your WW potato soup recipe? Found this somewhere on the web.Here's an awesome recipe for potato soup. My friend on Weight Watchers gave it to me. Apparently, it's extremely low in points, and it is really delicious! My husband said it's even better than his mother's. And I KNOW it's a lot easier!

1 pkg Ore Ida O'Brien frozen potatoes (they'll have peppers and onions in them)
3 cans FF chicken broth (I got low sodium also)
1 pkg Pioneer FF country gravy mix

That's all you need!

Simmer the potatoes in the chicken broth for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender.
In a separate bowl, mix the gravy mix with 1/2 cup of water. Then, stir the gravy into the soup.

Heat until thickened (about 15 minutes).

It sounds easy enough. Trudy sorry that you are having problems. Why do we turn to chocolate? I bet it is fun to go baby shopping. They have such cute things out now. What kind of cookies do you get at Costco? Hmmm! Slavika glad that your dh is better. Never thought of doing that with angel food cake. Will have to try it. Maria I love roses. What are you going to do with the petals? Glenda great idea for the picture. You will all blend and look nice. Went to my sister's yesterday for a brunch. She had good stuff and I was pretty good. She made key lime cookies and I probably had one too many of those. Went to visit my son at work since I was on that side of town. He had a patient, a cute little 83 year old man who told me thanks for having Neil. It was a nice compliment. Walk time now. Be good.

Maria: Its so nice that you still get along with DS X. Im sure it has been really hard for her to call. So it was nice that you ran in to her and can go to lunch. Now me I would get that Dream Machine you want. Course you wont be home to use it What are you doing with the petals?

Trudy: I agree. Christmas always starts to soon! I saw some stuff in the stores last month. It gets earlier and earlier every year. Keep Slavika away from those at Costco.

Slavika: Glad DH is feeling better. Hope he still goes to the DR. next week. Men tend to not when they feel better. But it sounded pretty serious, so he better! That Angel food cake does sound good that way!


Peggy: Yumm that soup sounds good and my kind of recipe! Just dump and cook! Gonna try this for next weeks lunch. Yummmmm


Later!

Hi Everybody
I should be doing my ironing but just popped by for a quick look. Glenda a couple of years ago when my grandchildren were even younger my son set up his tri-pod to take a family picture so that they could send them out as Christmas cards. Well he and my dil would try to get the children postitioned and then my son would run to sit down. The children were not HAPPY at how long this was taking and started squirming, poking at each other, refusing to sit quietly, and finally after taking a few pictures and knowing that none of them would be good....they gave up. They went ahead and had the film developed anyway and my son got this brain wave of an idea to send out the WORSE picture of the lot to all their friends and relatives, with a note attached, saying "from our lovely family".
I don't think anybody will ever forget that picture Christmas card.
Maria are the rose petals to throw at the happy couple after they are married?
Peggy doesn't it just warm your heart when someone says something nice about your child, and it doesn't matter how old that child is. When one of my grandchildren have been especially polite, or caring I always tell my son/dil. I know it makes them feel good.
Well gang, back to the ironing.

Slavika - what a great idea! That would be a very memorable Christmas card, huh? None of you have forgotten it, but betcha have forgotten the really posed ones.

Trudy - don't know where I have been, but didn't know you were going to be a grandma. Ain't it grand! You will have so much fun--just don't forget that grand-doggie!

Maria - what is going on after the bombing? I read where they had caught the bombers. This was just such a sad thing--so many young people.

Did any of you see the CMA awards last night? That is the Country Musical Awards. My guy, Alan Jackson, won a whole bunch. I just love him! And Shania Twain is back. It is just fun watching all the pretty people and the singing.

We are having sunshine! It is so wonderful after two full weeks of rain.

Peggy - so glad your son's patient told you he loves your kid. That is something none of us mothers hear too much.
Glenda

G'day all,

Spend the morning at the dentist and I now have a very nice shiny and smooth gold crown. For some reason he prefered to do this crown in gold (you cannot see it) and it is cheaper than a porcelain crown. It is so smooth after having a very rough tooth for quite some time.

Glenda who knows what is up with the bombing and the culprits. I heard on the news yesterday that Al Quadea has claimed responsiblity for the bombing on their web site. There is a lot of controversy, Australia's relationship with our Asian neighbours is a little fragile, one of the main reasons is the fact that Australia has supported President Bush. There have been raids on muslims suspected of having links with terrorist groups etc. etc. There was a documentary only last week about a fundamentalist muslim group that intends to make all of Asian one huge Muslim country, the north of Australia is included in their plans It is all very scary and all a bit too close to home. We may well have a large country but our population is only 20 million.

Slavika you picked it in one yes the rose petals are to be used as confetti which you can no longer use. As soon as the petals are all dried, I put them in small cellophane bags with a pretty ribbon and then they are handed out to guests at the wedding to throw over the happy couple.
I am sure the xmas photo would have given people a lot more laughs than had the photo been a perfectly posed one.

Peggy I think it is lovely that an elderly patient spoke so well of your son. I agree with Glenda and Slavika, you never get sick of hearing that your child is caring/polite/cheerful etc. etc.
Our son was home to wash his car this afternoon and he told me that he has been asked to be MC (master of ceremonies) at his high school for the Year 12 presentation night. He was quite thrilled and asked what I thought. I told him that they picked the best person and he would do a great job. He just said 'gee thanks' and off he went again saying how good life was

DH is in Melbourne for the day, I will pick him up in an hour or so. We are having a quite weekend but the following weekend dh has taken Friday and Monday off and we are off to Melbourne in the 'Dream machine'. We are staying for 2 nights in a motel across the road from dd and then Sunday lunchtime we are heading back to Adelaide again via the Great Ocean Road. It takes a little longer but the views are spectacular. We intend to overnight somewhere along the way and then home again Monday afternoon.
Have a look for yourself, I am sure you will agree that the views are just breath taking.
http://www.greatoceanrd.org.au/
Of course everything in spring is just better

I better be off and get some dinner organised before picking up dh.

Cheers
Maria

Hi all:
Peggy: got the makings for the potato soup today, but couldn't find Pioneer Country gravy mix. Had to settle for McCormick low fat mix. so I'm afraid my soup won't be authentic, but I'm going to give it a try.: One pkg. of OreIda O'brien potatoes is quite big, suppose that is because they are frozen and that makes it appear larger.

Maria: You never have a dull moment in your busy life. Your trip sounds like it would be lovely. Especiall the return trip. This whole Al Quida business is a bit scary. The real fundamentalist Muslims are are scary too. There is quite a large number of Muslim people here is the U.S. but for the most part they all say their religion is one of peace. And that the Al quida people give their religion a bad name. Who to believe

Yesterday I dug up all the shrubs in the front of the house. Not many only 2 but they were the creeping kind, and those two covered a lot of space. They were old and the roots were huge. Our neighbor came over with a special saw, and he chopped them up so I could get them out. My DH was at the dentist, and got back just in time to bag up all the debris.: Now today all the muscles in the back of my legs are stiff. Just falling apart, I guess.

found a recipe for 2point cranberry muffins hope to try this weekend. If it is any good I'll post it. Time to go and chat with my granddaughter on line.

Hi everyone. Have a nice week end. Ann

Hi Everybody
Ann that 2 point cranberry muffin you are talking about is that the one from this weeks WW newsletter? If it is I made them twice already. Once on Tuesday for Tea Time and again yesterday. I was telling Trudy that if you put them in a sealed tupperware container they are even better the next day.....more moist.
The second time I made them I also sprayed the bottoms of the PAPER muffin cups. I really liked them very much......that's a keeper recipe.

Maria I went to the addy you gave us, and I have to tell you that if I lived near a spot as beautiful as that, I don't think I would care whether I ever travelled or not. Truly lovely. You guys are sure lucky.

Talk to you all later.

Here is that potato cheese soup I tried. It was a very good but kind of a mess when I was melting the cheese kind of globby. Velveeta Light will work great too. But the low fat cheese has a good calcium boost that we all need. It is good enough to fix again and I am passing this one on to all of the members in my groups. I finally just copy and pasted this straight from Weight Watchers.com. Didn't know I could do that. See you later.
Karen


POTATO CHEESE SOUP
1 serving(s) cooking spray (5 one second sprays)
1 medium onion(s), chopped
2 medium carrot(s), coarsely grated
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 pound uncooked potato(es), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (use small red potatoes)
29 oz vegetable broth
1/2 cup(s) fat-free half-and-half cream
8 oz low-fat cheddar or colby cheese

Instructions



Coat a nonstick medium pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Cook onions until they just begin to color, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, salt, pepper, paprika and mustard, stirring to mix; cook until carrots begin to soften, about 2 minutes.


Add potatoes, broth and half-and-half. Increase heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cheese and stir to melt; puree in batches in a blender. Yields about 1 heaping cup per serving.


POINTS

Serves | 6
POINTS per serving | 3

I think I am the last one of us to see the Greek wedding Movie. It was great Even My DH liked it I think I'll keep him .

Maria I went to the web address of the ocean view it was wonderful. No wonder you wanted to drive that route. Hope the weather was nice for you .

Speaking of people saying nice things about your kid. Grand Son got his fist report card . Kindergarten you know. Anyway they are graded for things like getting along with others being quiet when it's story time and all that. We he was also graded and graded well on sharing and not wanting to be first in line or what ever is going on. Now this is a boy who wants to be first and last for everything. I made a comment to dil about are they talking about our GS. She said ya I know I'm thinking of asking if we they got the wrong report card. But then we talked some more and decided if kids are going to misbehave it should be at home and not at school or else where.

My DD know has the keys to her new home. Now it just has to be moved to their land. Wish I was going to be around to see it happen but am going to be gone this next week end to somemore WW training. Will be gone from Thursday to Sunday Dh will be on his own for a few days. Any way this Thursday out at DD they removed some trees, made a straight road to move the house in on , then extended the foundation of the excisting house. Poured more cement. Now she is packing up everthing to get it out of old house because it will be demolished next Wed. and the new house brought in Friday or sat. Exciting things going on here. She and her DH and Kids are so excited and so is the rest of the family. Can you tell

I agree Trudy Christmas comes way to soon . I don't even like to start thinking about it until at least after Thanksgiving.

Got to go to bed.

Karen

Slavika: Im Sorry but I have to Laugh Its my family picture. We all act like little Kids. reminds me of other times :z Take a picture? My family does not do well

Glenda: Didit see the awards. I have no clue as to the Bombings. Its scary now a days. We had terroist warnings here this last week. Will it ever end? Sorry but I dont think so

Peggy: Made the soup! Yummmmmmmmmm It was very good. DH loved it to!

Maria: ALAS.......... I want to go! Webpage and Pics were awesome. Alas... Your gone; but dont you need me to help you?

Ann: I made the soup today with Mc Cormick and it was great! Will post the points once I get off my duff Al Quida. Dont know what to say. We have them here to. They are every where and you dont even know it.

Karen: Congrats to DD getting the keys! How exciting for them! Now Karen dont be takig on the moving of them :") You have enough on your Plate. Thanks for the recipe!

G'day all,

I posted quite a long post on Saturday but for some reason 3fc site was extremely slow and I lost my post

DH left for Sydney this morning, up at 5.30 to drive him to the airport. He will be home on Thursday and then on Friday we are off to Melbourne and return on Sunday via the Great Ocean Road.
I am glad you all liked the web site and enjoyed the wonderful photographs displayed there.

DH had ADSL connected for his work computer, last night he changed it over to my laptop and boy is that fast!!!!! I will enjoy using it this week for the net whilst he is gone.

On the work front things are bleak again, this is just so frustrating and unsettling. One minute you are having shots, preparing everything to be on our way and the next everything has been delayed and it is all doom and gloom again. Hopefully dh comes back with some positive news from Sydney.

You are right Slavika once we do retire the desire of overseas travel has just about gone. We hope to see a lot more of Australia and put our 4x4 wheel drive skills to the test, potter around the house, my garden etc. etc.
The one trip we would like to do is to Alaska, Canada and the USA. DH's dream (yes another dream ) is to follow the old route 66, or what is left of it. Who knows............

Glenda there have been some arrests in relation the bombing in Bali. The person arrested apologised for the many Australians that were killed, they were meant to be Americans , a great comfort to the relatives of Australians killed, I don't think. Australia is seen by our Asian neighbours as being too harsh with suspected Muslim terrorist groups and of course our government friendship and support for President Bush doesn't make us any more popular with our Asian neighbours.
I don't know where it will ever end, but the anger for Australians and Americans from our Indonesian neighbours is pretty scary.
Lets hope Suddam Hussein sees some sense and allows the weapon inspectors back in his country to do their job.
I suspect the Korean threat would not have received much publicity in your side of the world but we see their accumelation of weapons of mass destruction almost as dangerous as that of Iraque.

It is going to be a very hot day today, might wander down to the beach a little later for a bit of a paddle!

Cheers
Maria

We are having a peaceful quiet rememberance day. Yesterday was my Son-I-L birthday so we had them over for dinner. It was a nice day. My DD informed us that it is 6 weeks to delivery... I had better finish my sewing for the baby. No worries Glenda there is absolutely no way we could ever forget our grand-doggie. She is so lovable and so much fun. When my Son-I-L took his present out of the gift bag, he put the tissue paper back into the bag and gave it to her. Her antics made us She actually had her head stuck right into the bag... hard to believe she is 5 yrs old, she hasn't slowed down a bit. My DD said that it is time for her to pack her bag for the hospital, so she is getting her clothing together, clothing for the baby and a bag for the dog.... looks like we will be having a border for a few days.
Peggy my DH's favorite Costco cookies are the Chocolate Chip Macademia Nut They bake them on Friday's, that is when he likes to pick up 2 packs... luckily (for his health's sake) he eats them sparingly.
Slavika I can't even imagine your family taking a bad picture.. you will have to show it to me. I am going to try toasting the angel food cake tonight.. I'm sure I will like it. You come up with the tastiest treats.
Maria All the news about the bombing in Bali, the problems in Australia with the muslims, the Korean threats,even the fires in the suburbs in Sydney hit our news services. I have to say that Canadians are really kept up to date with everything. Loved the pic of the Great Ocean Road. I think Australia and New Zealand must really be beautiful places.
Karen will your DD and family be living closer to your home? You had such a happy upbeat post.. I am glad things are going so well for you. Thanks for posting the recipe.
Lily I'm with you ... the easier the recipe.. the more I like it. I just don't spend all day cooking like I used to. Since my DH retired, he just doesn't eat as much and is very content with the lighter meals.

Well, it is 3:00pm and I have waited long enough for my Mocha Coffee treat... hope everyone is having a peaceful Rememberance Day.

Hi Everybody
Karen do you mean your DD is moving a new house to the property she is living on now, and then they will demolish the old house. I guess, she had more cement poured because the new house is bigger? LOL Did I get any of that right??
I will try the new soup recipes you gals posted. Our winters are long and both DH and I like soup.
Maria I hope when your DH gets back from Sydney he has good news to share with you. This must be so frustrating for both of you, not knowing from one day to the next what is going on.
Been a quiet day today for DH and I. This afternoon I made some High Fiber Lo-Cal Baker Cookes, and the WW pumpkin pudding. I wanted a couple of low counting treats to have on hand.
Glenda last week when I went to Costco with Trudy and her DH they were looking at this BIG bag of toys...........and they were NOT for the new grandbaby, they were for the granddoggie. LOL LOL

Maria: They apologised?? WOW, these are sick people. Glad they caught them though. Sorry to hear you still dont know whats up with DH work. Must be very frustrating for you both.

Trudy: Your Costco bakes different cookies each day? Dont think ours does. Never really check it out before. Maybe I should pay attention sometimes

Karen: No you arent the last to see the Greek Wedding. I was suppose to go a few weeks ago and it got cancelled. So Im still waiting to see it.
I will probably be 90 by the time I see it
How exciting for your DD. A new home! I remmebr when we first moved into ours. Wow it was the best.

Slavika: Oh I forgot about that recipe for the Baker cookie. Havent made it in along time. I must do that! I get in moods where I dont want to cook, they seem to last quite a long time to.

Best get moving need to work WW tonight.

Later