Since my house in in chaos, thinking is about all I can do today! Things are not progressing as planned and I'm forcing myself to think positive - creating my own reality! It looks like I will be still in a huge mess over the weekend when my friend Margo, her daughter and Bailey my Grand Pup come for the weekend. I guess it'll be a big weekend for BBQ or the evil Long Horn!

Thinking positively:

• it's not raining so I may be able to get some gardening done this afternoon
• my first knee shot is over with
• someone left a flat of zinnias on my step yesterday
• dinner at Claire's was great last night
• I get a haircut in town this morning
• I can visit a garden centre when I'm there
• I can pick out some pot lights for the kitchen in town too
• Claire gave me lovely leftovers for tonight's supper
• tomorrow I get my darling Girls back from the kennel

There! That should do it!

What's happening positive for you today?

Maybe you should rename this thread "Optimistic Thursday Thoughts", Ruth! Hang in there, all this will be behind you before you know it. I must say, though, that I think you're pretty admirable, entertaining weekend guests with all this going on! I hope you can charm the chef at Longhorn into making you some healthy OP options while your kitchen is out of commission.

It's just the usual SOSO here today. We got our badly needed rain yesterday, so the flowers are happy. Leftovers for supper tonight, I made the Alfredo with shrimp instead of chicken, yum yum!

Well, I'm off to start my day! Look for beauty in today and smile often!

I just renamed the thread, Cottage.

Here's some Spring Beauty for us all.

Species Tulips with Paquerettes and Hyacinths with Forgetmenots to follow.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love May?

Time ta shake yer tailfeathers Chicks!

AH Ruth thats the Delta Spirit! It looks like working with Contractors and their own schedule for things is the same acrossed the northern border .. The flowers are spectacular!
Cottage: :yumyum: Is that Alfredo recipe posted? It sounds delish!

Today is reminiscent of a cool autumn morn! It may break into the 70s but thats it. Time fer a refill and to get on with my day...........whoosh!

Slim pickins on the beach today. Where is everyone?

Ruth: Here's a hug for you! If there's any beacher I know that can tackle it all with a smile, it's you! Thank goodness your first shot is over -- how's the knee?

Cottage: That Fettucini sounds even better with shrimp. Too bad we live in the desert (no fresh) and too bad dh is mildly allergic. Have a great day!

Schatzi: Have a great time whooshing through yer day!

ME: Things are going well here. It has been droopy and foggy and just, ugh, since Tuesday night. The moisture sure is good for us though.

We had an "arbor specialist" come and give us an estimate on tree removal for our yards. Its only going to be $1500 for all 23 trees plus $350 for stump grinding and $150 for hauling them off. I can surely live with that! I usually wouldn't promote removing trees anywhere, especially here in the desert, but they've got to go. The two in the front are these ugly monstrosities that hide the house from the road, kill all the grass (too much shade) and the roots are starting to tear up the sidewalk. One of the trees in the back is dead. The other 20 are "trees of heaven" or Ailanthus altissima. They're an exotic from China and are dispicable. Their roots are relentless and damaging to foundations, etc., they stink, and they sprout up everywhere and grow SO fast!! We're literally pulling those things out of the ground daily. The tree guy is also going to treat the roots so the systems will be destroyed. After 6 months or so, we'll be able to replant some native trees and hope they'll grow up quickly. I'm looking at Mexican elders for the back and a pine or fir for the front. Well, enough rambling for me. Time to get to work!

Have a great day everyone!

Good morning all. I don't pop in much but just wanted to say hi. Ruth sounds like you got the kitchen project in full swing.

I got a new puppy for show on Monday. He is so stinking cute. Boston Terrier all of 14 weeks old. I am so excited. I want to do some agility or rally with him besides conformation showing (like Westminster.)

My life has been crazy lately, however, a better sort of crazy than before. I hooked up with a center that deals with FMS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I am feeling so good it is unbelievable. I never thought I would feel this good again in my life. What I call a bad day now would have a been a good day before. All of this to say I believe I am mentally and physically able to take on SBD again.

Everyone have a beachy day today.

Good Morning Chickaroos!

Ruth: Oh, kitchen remodeling deja vu! We had ours redone in our old house (I don't know why I love to buy old houses and redo them!)
The contractor told me "about 3 weeks". Apparently he did not know the difference between 3 weeks and 4 months. But it will be worth it when it's done!

Cottage: AHHHHHH..(that is me opening my mouth for some alfredo..tres yum!)

Schatzi: Our weather here is about the same as yours after 3 days of horrid storm! It is cool and sunny and breezy and not supposed to get above 81! yehaa.
NC is such a beautiful area. My sister and her husband live in Winston-Salem and now my Mother does too since Katrina (she lives with me during the winter)

Kim: Wow, that is a great price for all those trees. We paid that much to have ONE oak tree removed after Katrina! To make it even worse, it was not even our tree.
It belonged to my next door neighbor. It came down from the middle of their yard, through the fence, across power lines (ripped my boxes off the house) and missed my dining room by a hair!
It took 6 months to be able to get someone to chop it up and haul it away. It was one of those HUGE 200 year old oak trees.
And of course since it was not originally on my property, insurance would not cover it.


Busy day here today. I got a chance to post one recipe last night on my new blog (link below)
On the right side of the blog page is a link for "recipes". That will take you to another page with a link to a printable
recipe for red beans and rice. I think everything in the recipe is SB friendly.
Will try to add more as I can.

Hey, everyone! It's not a very chatty day today, eh?

Yay for thinking positively, Ruthie! If I know you, Margo will be so happy to see you she won't care if you feed her dog food! BBQ could be fun! Thanks for the flower pics...gorgeous! I've never seen Pacquerettes before...fascinating! My forgetmenots are up already...love your hyacinths! My friend Mary told me this morning that she sprayed 'Dear Off" on her tulips and it protected them pretty well. All of ours were sheared to the ground! Do you think it would work?

Congrats on the good estimate, Kim! Did you know that the famous tree of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was a tree of heaven?

I've got a crazy day--lots of errands. Went for a good walk with a friend this morning. Nice way to exercise! Making a really awesome sounding Chicken Pot Pie tonight from Cooking Light. Their May issue has an article on nutrients with recipes that, other than sugar, are really SBD friendly! Yum!

Have a great day!

Happy Thursday to all! Happy to say I have completed week 1! 5 1/2 down, and I really haven't not been tempted! One minor slip lastnight and I don't feel it was to bad or my fault. My in-laws invited us over for dinner, finally had to break down and tell them I am doing south beach as they said they were making sasuage and potatoes for supper! I hadn't told anyone outside my immediate household and work. Well they changed dinner to baked chicken and green beans and a salad since my hubby told them I was eating like a rabbit! I know for a fact the cheese was not "low fat" but there wasn't much there, so for that I am thankful for them thinking of me!

Work is a bit on the hectic side (as I sit here eating my lunch at my desk and typing away! LOL)

Checked the garden this morning, the spinach, zuchinni, and green beans are starting to show their little heads! How exciting!

Have a great thursday everyone!

Whah! I wanna plant some seeds this afternoon and it's too darn cold - besides, Ms. Knee is still kvetching as the synovial fluid works its way in.

The lads are both hard at work in the kitchen. They have left me a sink and the stove for the weekend "camping" and the downstairs bathroom will be functional too. We will survive! Can you hear Tina Turner hollering that? They'll be back tomorrow to wire the pot lights and finish the rest of the kitchen wiring - that's the plan anyhow.

I met a friend in town and we went to the dreaded Chinese Buffet! I ate carefully but know water weight will appear overnight. Salad and chicken are the menu for tonight and lots of water.

Gotta go answer some questions - back later.