Good Afternoon, Flowers!
It is a beautiful sunny day in my corner of the world . . . a cool 66 degrees. I love it!

I ran errands again this morning. I bought a new scale at WM yesterday and couldn't get it to work so took it back. The warranty said not to return to the store so I called the 800# for instructions. That only applies if the scale had been used for any length of time. Since I bought it yesterday, I could take it back to the store. When I got the second one home, I don't think I had the battery in right on the first one. It has a lithium battery and I'm just sure it wasn't hooked under one edge. Oh well, they can figure it out!

I need to wrap some gifts for a baby shower this weekend. I think my "mom" is coming here so will get to have some family time together.

Maggie -- I wish I had a husband who liked to cook. Bob will grill, make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, soup, and eggs but that is about the extent of it. He can fix just about anything, mechanical or otherwise, so I guess it is a tradeoff. You are lucky to have a "no cooking" Thanksgiving invitation already! Good luck at weigh in . . . I am having a real struggle and thought maybe the scale would give me some incentive.

"Gma" -- Have a wonderful trip! We will look forward to the wedding details upon your return! We had our electrical box redone when we remodeled a few years ago -- it was pricey but the electrician said there had been too many "do-it-yourselfers" in this house before we bought it.

I need to get busy! Have a nice afternoon, Flowers!

Jean -- in Iowa!

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is 103 as I type and it is just around noon thirty. But the humidity is only 16% so it is breathable. Our swamp cooler and fans keep the inside nice. They don't use air conditioners here because these swamp cooolers work so much better in this climate. This one is on the roof and so with all the windows cracked half inch open the coolness is pulled to every corner of the house. Turn loves to lay in the hallway where it is overhead and snooze. I am not looking forward to weigh in one bit but will go. I am looking forward to next Thursday though when I get to start meeting with a new group and weigh in the morning or at least noon since it is a bit of a distance to drive. I think I will make Will a loaft of bread today ~ he loves that raisin bread. I also plan on cutting out a couple of houses so I had better get a move on.

FAYE do enjoy yourself on your trip. I never drive on a trip ~ Will does it all and quite well. Stops when I need to and so we just tool along. I would drive if he needed me to for I am a good driver but he is comfortable to do it all. I like it this way for I get to see stuff! That scrap book is such a wonderful idea of yours and I am sure the recipients will treasure it.

JEAN do you think the scale will do the trick? I don't even have one now but if I ever do get another one I will get one of those tall doctor office ones where you move the chunk over. I used to have one and it was the best I have ever had. You can set them and they weigh the most accurate for a scale for under $500. Those that WW uses cost up in the thousands. I know a man who bought one of those.

Have a nice afternoon folks. Stay cool. and have fun.

I SHOWED A MAINTAIN

Good for you!

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

I think Mother Nature is having a 'Senior Moment'...she has gone from Winter directly into Summer....we had a rainy and chilly day on Monday and then Tuesday it was 95 and has stayed there ever since. Humidity is quite high and we have the air conditioner on in the dining room on the first floor and it does a great job of cooling the entire first floor. Up until yesterday it was like walking into a furnace to go upstairs but DD#1 just had central air installed in her house and gave us an air conditioner we have installed in the hall window on the second floor. After closing the doors to the other bedrooms and the bathroom the air goes straight to our room and last night it was wonderful

MAGGIE A maintain is just great and with your new time for WW you are on your way. When we travel DH does the driving. I have offered to help but he says I make a better navigator and I accept that. I collect houses but not glass ones. I have about 10 of the Department 56 houses. I love them but have begun to think of them as dust collectors lately.

JEAN Glad those kittens have moved over to your house. It means they will survive to cat status. I have a rather good scale but it never weighs the same as the WW one. I have learned to compensate.

FAYE Enjoy your trip...I don't think I could do such a long spell in the car. We usually go no longer that 6 hours before calling it a day. DS does the long rides...once he drove from Raleigh to Orlando straight. DH says that kind of driving would give him A**eritis.



BUBS I don't know if your back from you sailing cruise yet but I hope you had a great time....waiting to hear all about it.

Gloria in MA.....thinking about starting some housework.....only thinking

Good Morning, Flowers!
It is promising to be another nice day in my neighborhood. I have much to do today . . . mainly go to the grocery store and hope they have FRESH fruit for a change. I'm beginning to think we are the last stop on the truck's route.

The kittens have made it up the steps to my back door. One is eating dry food . . . stands in the bowl with all 4 little feet. We love to watch them and it makes me sad when I have to catch them and take them to a new home. I feel like such a traitor but know it is best for all concerned.

Gloria -- It's nice to see your post today! Even with central air, our upstairs bedrooms can be warm. When it's really hot, I leave the furnace fan running and that circulates the air better.

Hope you all have a nice day and a relaxing weekend. If my mom comes, I may not be back online until Sunday night.

Jean -- in Iowa!

GOOD MORNING MAGNILIAS

Another lovely day in sunny California. It is 99 as I type and goona get er befor this day is done. I don't do well out in the real hot stuff so stay in and work on my glass. Last evening we had a hoot of a time. The BBQ was great and all the folks there were fun to be with. We played a game ~ gals against the guys and the gals won! By then it was 11 pm and no way were we going to play a rematch. There were 4 couples at this do. A whole bunch of us will be getting together on the 4th.

Have a wonderful day Flowers and enjoy your weekend.

Good Morning, Flowers!
The weather is trying to decide what to do . . . the sun has peeked out a couple times but the clouds are gathering for another , I think. It's a cool 67 degrees in my corner of the world.

I think we are going to an auction today. MIL is looking for livingroom furniture to replace some very worn out stuff in her summer home. I think that being in the cold winters, without heat, is hard on furniture although what she has has been around for many years.

Maggie -- I hope you keep cool today! I'm not an "outside in the heat" kind of person either. I'm glad you are enjoying your new friends . . . sounds like you are having good times!

I need to fold a load of towels and get dressed. The truck is leaving shortly and I want to be on it! Maybe I will find something at the auction I can't live without! :

Have a wonderful day, Flowers!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Hey ladies!

I am not going to do individuals as my downstairs looks like a vacation hurricane blew through, but wanted to check in and tell you we had a great time. The dress looked HOT and I got a lot of compliments on it. (please forgive me, as I am cutting and pasting my post on the trip from my thread so I wouldn't have to spend the time doing it again.)

We had a wonderful time. Vicki was so shocked and it was wonderful. I was sitting in the bride's room with my back against the wall where she would be coming in. She came in holding a bunch of stuff and I happened to be standing as I had just helped the pianist with her corsage. She looked at me and never said a word, put down a bag she had and stood back up and looked at me again and then it registered and she kind of screamed and started trying to unload the rest of her arms so she could hug me. I cried through the whole wedding (she sat us in one of the family rows, God bless her). At the very end, the minister had pronouced them husband and wife and they were facing the crowd while a quartet sang the Lord's Prayer. I was balling my eyes out and she looked down and saw me and mouthed "I love you" and I blew her a kiss and just boohooed all the more. We really are like sisters. She had dh and I and her and Bob in a picture together. Oh, the outfit went over great and I looked HOT if I do say so myself. That tanning stuff for us real white bread body girls works fantastic (at least the stuff I used did). We also had dinner one night and Sunday breakfast with my son and his girlfriend (who are back together and we are thrilled) and Sat morning breakfast with my older sister and Sat evening dinner with friends so all in all the trip was great. There was only one snag. We left here around 3:00 pm and got into Chicago around 11 pm and about 5 miles before our exit off 80/94 there were signs saying there was construction. WELL, we sat for 2 1/2 hours in traffic, sometimes for 30 minutes at a time at a dead standstill. Instead of being at the hotel at midnight, we trudged in there at 3 AM. Thank goodness neither of us had an attack of needing to go to the bathroom.

Well, just wanted you to know I am back. I will get with you ladies again soon after I can clear up downstairs some!

Faye

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

I am so glad it has decided to get cooler for it only got to 94 here today. We went to the new town where I am going to start attending WW on Thursdays to find the place where the meetings will be held. Whilein town we ran into some folks we knew from down south which was a treat. We will be seeing them again when we attend a wedding in July. What fun. Life is good. Tomorrow is a big day for me. It is the very beginning of the last half of the year and I am not going to squander it like I did the first half. I look back at 2002 and how I did a bang up job the first six months and squandered the last 6 months. Now this will seem like I have a second chance at that 6 months to complete a good solid year. Anyway I cut it I am going to pay attention and keep my FOCUS and concentrate on feeding Thin Within and count all the points and write what I bite.

JEAN did you find anything at that auction that you wanted for yourself?

FAYE I just knew your dress would go over with a big bang with your thinner body inside of it and a beautiful smile on your face. I am so happy you and your friend did enjoy the occasion so much. Memories are made to cherish.

Have a wonderful eveing everyone.

GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

It is beautiful here today!!! Sun is out and the humidity is down. Couldn't ask for more. I have a few minutes before I start on some meatballs I will be bringing to the Cape on Thursday. Yes! we have been invited down to my friends house on Falmouth Harbor again this year. She said to come on Thursday and stay until Monday....5 days at the beach...heaven!
I will bring some Chicken Marsala that is already made and frozen and will only need 45 min in the oven to be ready and I will bring some rice to make with it. I also will bring a Vidalia Onion salad which my friend and I love...we are the only ones who will eat it. So simple, Vidalia's sliced thin with Feta cheese, crumbled, chopped parsley, small amount of dried parsley. The dressing is olive oil, white wine vinegar & lemon juice. It is delicious!!
This friend is someone I used to work with and she is a delight although the last few years have not been the most healthy for her, she never complains. I told her we would love to come but I had to bring some of the food otherwise she would be cooking the whole time we are there. Fireworks are on Friday the 4th and I hope the weather hold for they are set of on a barge in the middle of the harbor. Should be fun.

MAGGIE I hope you like your new meeting site. Just liking the time and people will help you to complete the next 6 months in a grand manor! You sure sound like you live in a very friendly area.

FAYE That wedding sounded lovely and what a great surprise you were for the bride. I know what you mean about all the housework awaiting you after time away. I try not to think about it until I get home then just role up my sleeves and dream of the fun we had while away while cleaning house.

JEAN OOh! An auction sounds like fun! I would probable want to get everything! I am at that point when all my furniture is looking used and I know new is not in the program...maybe if we keep on going on vacations I won't have to look at it.

We will be hosting Kerri ,9 and Sean, 11 for an overnite in July while Dad treats Mom to a Birthday night on the Cape. Kerri has already told me we will be doing some baking and she wants to do the cooking. I think I will let her

We have been invited to a Birthday Bash in Minneapolis, MN over the first weekend in Aug. This is a boyhood chum of DH and has become a multi-millionaire. Thinking of something to bring as a gift was difficult but in their youth the boys belonged to the "Bodwell St. Bluejays". That was the name of their group. I found a photo of a Bluejay on the internet and printed in on photo paper and then I made a certificate to commorate his 70th bd and noting his position as co-capt. of the Bluejays. I left a space right in the middle to paste the photo. It came out well and then I had if framed. We also got a baseball cap with a Bluejay and are having in embroidered with his name. Should be an interesting time. I hope to get to visit the "Mall of America" while we are there.

Gloria in MA....need to get off the computer and get some things down around here.

Good Evening, Flowers!
I typed out a nice long post this morning, did "something", and POOF, it was gone and never to be found. I will try again tonight!

I am playing catch up after being gone most of yesterday. We took the auction couch up to MIL yesterday, took a quick boat ride, and headed back home again. As we are out in the middle of the lake, Beth called to say she is in the hospital with contractions. Several hours later, after meds, an ultrasound, and some sort of other test, she was sent home and told the baby wasn't ready yet. Her due date is in August so this is too early. That kind of excitement I can do without!

"Gma" -- I'm glad you are back home safely and your trip was so much fun! Did you have a picture taken of you in your dress? The worst part of being gone is the unpacking and putting away. I'll bet your fur people were glad to see you come home!

Maggie -- I hope you like your new WW meeting. I would love to weigh in in the morning. I really like the glider/rocker DH bought at the auction! We brought it home thinking I would trade it for mine. But the color didn't go at all with the furniture I have. Beth wanted one and it will match her livingroom carpet and chairs much better than mine. MIL will have to be on the lookout for one up in her area. We also bought a highchair for $5! This is the "old" kind that doesn't take up so much room and will fold flat to store.

Gloria -- I hope you have great weather for your stay on the beach! That sounds like fun! Your birthday gift is a clever idea! It is so hard to buy for an older person who either has everything they want or can afford to buy it if they wanted it. I'm sure he will get a kick out of your gifts! The onion salad sounds good but I'm not sure my stomach would agree. Sometimes I can eat them and sometimes I can't. The young couple who bought the house bought alot of the furniture and appliances at the auction. The house is right next door to our son so they are excited to have another young couple in the neighborhood. Enjoy cooking with your granddaughter!

I have a kitchen counter full of dirty outside catfood dishes and I need to go wash them. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Good morning everyone!

Sounds like everyone's summer is busy and fun!

Jean: No, like a DOPE we took a gazillion pictures of the wedding and not any of my dress, my son and his girlfriend, siser and husband or our friends! Hope Beth can hold onto that baby a little longer, at least 3 more weeks or so!

Maggie: Good for you! We can put ourselves in a rut sometimes where we just plain get careless and so we have to re-examine and just work hard!

Gloria: Sounds like you are having a busy summer. I love the beach, but it doesn't love me and dh hates it so we never go anywhere there is a beach. I burn really bad really quickly.

Well ladies, I will try and talk to you later today. I am trying to get our cat to use his new hooded litter box to try and keep our dog out of it. We have been working with putting him in and encouraging to step out by himself. Hope he takes to it, it was kind of expensive!

Faye

Hi All,

Just a quick note to say we got back late yesterday afternoon. I did all the driving up and back, but I'd rather drive than ride. The sail was wonderful Weather cool in the AM, but lovely during the day. We had some really good sailing days, and some magical evenings when some 80 year+ musicians came aboard to play with the captain and his wife. We were tied up with another schooner, and there was a professional musician from Nashville on board her, in addition to their captain and crew who all play and sing...........it truly was magical.

I'm doing laundry, and am afraid I'm catching the crud one of our sailing buddies has had, so am going to take some aspirin and get horizontal.......I feel as though I'm still in motion.

If I didn't gain 10 lbs, it wasn't from lack of trying! The food was fantastic, as always, and rich. I was careful with portion sizes, so we'll see how I did. I'm going to go take the phone off the hook so I can sleep. One rapidly growing ADD pup has everyone up at 6:30 AM........Sainted Jimmy is now being hauled around by his collar..........he's her favorite toy If he minded it, he'd let her know.

Good to read everyone's emails......more later,
Bubs

Good Morning, Flowers!
Well, I've made two trips to the clinic this morning; the first at 8 AM to have the nurse freeze (?) a spot on my lip that another nurse didn't do right and the second trip to have a chest xray. This is my year for the TB part of the school physical and since I've has positive reactions 3 times in a row, they just do the xray and be done with it. My physical was to be next week but got changed until after school starts in August so I wanted to get some of the fun stuff out of the way. My mammogram is the 14th so I can cross that one off my list. In between visits I baked cookies for the hospital Relay for Life which is tomorrow. It's been a long time since I made "real" cookies and they turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!

"Gma" -- Good luck with the cat box! Let us know how it goes. Every cat we've ever had balances all 4 feet on the edge of the litter box. Once in a while Leonard will slip and put a foot in the litter but not very often. They all cover it up when they're done too. I clean them out every day so it's not because they are dirty so I don't know why they do that. I am hoping for a July 31st/August 1st baby so DH can go to Canada on his fishing trip and I can start school without waiting for THE call. I've never known a baby to cooperate in that regard, so it will be interesting when it finally does come.

Bubbles -- Welcome home! I'm glad you enjoyed your trip and I'll bet your gain will be minimal with all that fresh air! Could you see land at all times or were you too far out? I had to chuckle when you called the puppy ADD! I'll bet both dogs were glad to see you come home! Beth's dog is 18 months old and still acts like a pup -- chews on everything that it can find when they shut it in the basement while they are gone. He has his own couch and toys, food, etc., but he just doesn't like it when they leave him.

Well, I need to keep moving. The cat fur is collecting . . . wish I could vacuum them!

Have a great day!

Jean -- in Iowa!