Good morning gals. It is actually quite warmer than it has been lately. I let Fortune out just a bit ago and didn't get blasted with cold air.

I have just a few rows left on the foot then I can do the toe and be done with T's socks so I may just get the other ones done. When it is cold like it has been my hands can ache when I knit for a long time so I kind of spread it out, knit for awhile, put it down, etc. I got a lot finished yesterday and should finish up today.

Might be short responses today as I have to try and remember what y'all posted on the last thread. I thought since we were to page three we should start a new one.

Susan: Wow, how cool to get new suits for nothing. You can't beat that. Sounds like you have been a busy, busy lady.

Jean: Our grand marquis has traction control as does the mariner so it does help some with inclement weather be it snow or rain. We aren't doing cards this year. I haven't done them in several years in fact. I only get a couple of them anymore so I don't see any reason spending all that money for people who don't appreciate them. We got Kelly and Tom's and they always send photo cards and this year has a picture of them in Egypt in a row in front of the pyramids doing the "walk like an egyptian" thing. It is cute.

Maggie: I have Fortune's dog house on my desk. It looks so cute. Again, thank you for the thoughtful gift. I do have a suggestion for you about Christmas Eve. Call around to places and find out closing times. Believe me, you might be sorry if you don't. I called about 8 restaurants and got closing times from 2 pm to 11 pm, most closing around 5-6 so I wouldn't want you not to be able to celebrate your anniversary because the restaurant closed early for Christmas Eve. A funny thing about our anniversary, is Jack never forgot it and why, because it was the same date he joined the Navy! lol

Well gals, I hear Jack is done with the shower so he should be down in just a few. Gotta get him some breakfast going I guess. Have a good Thursday. My favorite show has their last episode for the season tonight and it is two hours so I might have to take a nap so I can stay awake! lol Faye

Good morning, ladies! 29 degrees and snowing big time. I'm leaving work at noon today. The roads are already covered.

The plumbers are getting happier by the day. This cold, that we really aren't used to, is freezing pipes. Most of our houses are on slabs or stilts or have a crawl space underneath because the water table is too high to dig basements. So far my pipes are okay but the darn grounded kitchen outlet decided to die. I called my handyman and he is coming to replace it but it won't be until after Christmas. I can make do in the meantime.

The party for tonight was postponed until next month and that is good. I did fine at Olive Garden last night. I had the lunch sized portion of Apricot Chicken - 6 points - and salad with lowfat dressing on the side and 1 bread stick - 4 points. The chicken came with asparagus and broccoli and was very good.

I'm leaving work now so more when I get home.

Well, it took me 2 hours to get home, normally a 40 minute trip. I am thankful to be here safe and sound and not having to out again til next Tuesday if the weather stays bad. It does look like the snow is just about stopping but it is 28 degrees so it'll be freezing on the roads. I hate ice. I didn't stop at the Y to exercise, but there were the diehards there for there were cars in the parking lot, not many though.

Faye, I was confident that you would get the socks all done on time. You always do. Don't knit so long you get tendonitis, though. I did that with crocheting once. It was very painful for a long time.

Maggie, It should be warmer in TX than KS in January. Good planning. You always take good things to the covered dish. I looked in the Dining Out Guide and online and had my selections made before I arrived at Olive Garden. I've had so many eating out occasions this week that I do have to be careful or that scale will be going up and I don't want that. If I maintain this week, I'll be okay with that.

How are you doing today, Jean?

Have a great evening. I'm going to have a cup of tea.

Good Evening, Flowers! Just a quick "hello and good night" from me. I spent the morning picking up around here, went to WW (lost 1/2# somehow), then headed for Sioux Falls. It has sprinkled snow off and on all day; temperature was 0 when we got home. SF has a huge, beautiful mall and it was busy! I did finish up my shopping, or at least I think I did. I will know when I start to wrap tomorrow. The kids' program was a 1/2 hour; it was not as organized as last year and there were many more families there. We sat in the 3rd row and there were 2 different RUDE people with video cameras in the first 2 rows so I couldn't see Ian and Zowie for most of the time. GRRR! We treated at DQ afterwards and headed home.

"Gma" -- I'm glad your sock project is going so well and you finished T's. I hope your fingers aren't sore before you get the rest done. We've received a couple of cards with a collage of family pictures. I want to find out if they were done at home or through a business. I should have been on the ball and done the same with some Maui pictures.

Susan -- I hope your dead outlet isn't one that you use all the time. How aggravating as well as the fact that your handyman can't fix it until next year. I can imagine what your drive home was like! Olive Garden is my favorite place to eat; I don't always choose WW friendly. Lasagna is my favorite or the soup and salad. I try to plan ahead when I know we might eat there.

Maggie -- Hmmm . . . fudge . . . . Your trip to Texas is something to look forward to. I hope it is a lot warmer down there for you to enjoy. I signed up for SS in January and because I had worked part of that year, my checks didn't start until May. From working with different clients Bob says the checks should start in January of the year one turns 62, or whatever, assuming they haven't an earned income over a certain amount. It would be interesting to know why yours won't start until July.

I am heading to bed -- I am either getting a cold or allergic to something because my nose is running and I've been sneezing off and on all day. I don't have time to be sick! See you all tomorrow!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Good morning to you all! It is cool here, but not really cold, thank goodness. It was pretty warm here around 50 yesterday morning but then the temps started dropping, but it doesn't seem to be cold in the house and that is my measure of how cold it is since I try and keep the furnace temp lower to save money.

Susan: I can just imagine what your area is like. When you have snow infrequently the people act like nuts and I have experienced that in Va Beach so I imagine it is like that where you live as well since it is fairly close by. Hope your outlet mess can be sorted out. Nothing worse than not having enough outlets for stuff. We are so electricity dependent these days I think we would go nuts if we had to go without it. We are so programmed to have it that when the power is out we do stupid things out of habit, which can be funny. I actually have a great start on my sister's socks, almost have the leg on the first one done. It is an open weave pattern on the leg and the socks are pink or actually they call it "blush" so it looks really feminine. They are 100% wool though so she will have to hand wash them. I didn't notice until I looked at the yarn card and had already started them.

Jean: Congrats on the loss! Hope your sniffles haven't continued as I am like you during the holidays who has time to be sick. It is a bummer you didn't really get to see the kids in their program. I guess they must not have had one this year at T's school or he wasn't in it or something as Kelly never said anything and they are out of school I think today is the last day for them.

Maggie: I made a batch of heath bar fudge and had Jack take it to work since the milk chocolate went over gangbusters. They loved it too and it was so simple to make. I am done candy making for the year though. I made them two big batches and that is is. I am going to have to look for a little yorkie. I know that the Hallmark cards has tiny dogs, but I am not even sure where one is around here. There is a Montana Mikes in Branson and is on our list of restaurants to visit. I really like steak of all kinds so I am sure I would enjoy it.

Well gals, I heard the washer shut off so it is on to the next load. Have a great weekend. Faye

Good morning, ladies! 29 degrees and sunshine. Supposed to be 37 today but I don't see that as realistic.

Everything froze over last night and the streets in my development are nothing but ice. Schools and offices are closed, the military is on their Group B report, all others stay home, and old ladies with osteo don't need to be falling on the ice. I didn't go to the Y today and I'm not going to the party tonight. Its a long way and I don't want to drive in the dark and hit ice and then there is the miles long James River Bridge that I'd have to cross and it always freezes first. Yep, a good day to stay inside. I have a big pot of vegetable soup on the stove. I will go upstairs and quilt all afternoon.

I took the coffee cake I was given and put it down the disposal. I took one bite of it this morning and the sugar on an empty stomach hit like a lead balloon. It didn't even taste that good to me so out it went. I wish people would give me fruit instead of sweets. One very nice lady at work did give me a lovely basket of bath products.

I'll get out to my WW meeting tomorrow somehow. The scale hasn't budged this week but with all the parties that's good. Next week I will have to go on Wednesday evening so I might use the no weigh pass because it'll be up a pound or 2 since I normally weigh first thing in the morning.

Faye, wool socks should keep your sister's tootsies nice and warm! I have another outlet on that wall in the kitchen and 2 on the adjacent wall. York County makes builders put outlets every 6 feet on all walls.

Jean, looks like you are finishing up in good time for Christmas. I hate having things left to the last minute. I'd have probably said something to those videographers. That was rude of them.

Hi, Maggie!

Susan -- You are wise to stay home where it is warm and safe! I don't like being out when I have to drive on ice and snow, if the plows haven't been out first. I'm proud of you for pitching the coffee cake. You'd think people would just give a couple pieces or small portions to someone who lives alone. I'll bet you got a lot of quilting done today.

Maggie -- Our WM carries individual pieces of Key Lime Pie (Schwans) for $.99. I buy them every once in awhile. Do you have to bake the spread? I have the same ingredients for a dip/spread and I bake it for a few minutes. Stuffing celery would be a good idea too. My glass house is glowing as I type.

I'm heading to bed. See you tomorrow!

Good morning to you all. I originally posted it was cool and dry here, but I went and let Fortune out just now and we have a dusting of snow and an icy deck so my bad! lololol I am going to start cleaning in a little while so I can get the downstairs done today and the upstairs done tomorrow. I have Thomas's Christmas presents to wrap sometime this weekend and work, work, work on my sister's socks. I had to tear the one I had halfway finished completely out because I made a booboo. Teachs me patience.

Susan: I hope you thaw soon. I'm like you, I wouldn't move out of the house until the ice thawed either. It isn't worth a broken hip or something trying to get out if you don't have to.

Jean: I am sure Maggie will tell you, but if her "spread" is what we call a dried beef cheese ball, it isn't cooked, easy to make and pretty tasty to boot. The one I am thinking of you chop up the dried beef finely, add all the ingredients together except the nuts, form into a ball, chill for a couple hours then roll the ball in ground up pecans. We have Edwards brand desserts here and you can get slices of pie in little boxes. Jack likes their key lime and their lemon pie is pretty good too.

Maggie: Hope you have a good time at your potluck. For Thanksgiving I bought these little toast rounds that were a big hit with the cheese dips. Jack sometimes takes them with cheese for lunch.

I guess I better get going and get started on my day. I have a lot to get done today and want to spread it out. Have a nice Saturday all and hope your weather is nice. Faye

Good afternoon, ladies. We're having a heat wave - 37 degrees! Still a little snow on the north side of the house, but it's all gone in front which faces the south. We are supposed to have sleet turning to rain tonight.

I maintained at WW today which was what I expected. I count that as a victory since I enjoyed my parties. My friend Pat was there and we went to Subway for breakfast afterwards. I had the black forest ham, egg whites, and cheese on a whole grain English Muffin and it was only 4 points. After that we went to check out Goodwill and then went to the Y for our workouts. A pleasant way to spend a few hours. I came home and made a protein smoothie for lunch with a fiber one yogurt, ww smoothie mix, 1 scoop of protein powder and a banana for 5 points and ate some carrots and red pepper strips. Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner with salad.

Faye, I've "taught" myself patience having to unsew many times, too. I need to slow down and then I wouldn't have to do that.

Jean, we make a dip with the ingredients Maggie puts into her ball. It's baked and called Virginia Hot Dip. It's delicious. My friend had it with the new multigrain crackers that have nuts in them and pretzel chips.

Maggie, I still haven't received my package. Maybe Monday. We didn't get any mail Thursday, but I'd think it would be caught up now. I know you'll love the new floor. I hate having carpet in my sewing room. Threads just stick to it and pins get "lost."

Have a good evening, ladies!

Good morning, ladies! 36 degrees with 2 inches of snow in the forecast for tonight.

I've been to church, doing a couple of loads of laundry, and a trip to the Y to get my 60 minutes of exercise in. I found a cute pattern for a microwave/baked potato pot holder so I'm going to whip a few for my friends this afternoon.

Time for some lungh! Have a good day.