Hey cows! I'm sorry it's been so long since I checked in. I'm doing this writing a novel in a month thing and that's taking so much of my time. I'm also still a fat cow who absolutely cannot lose weight no matter how much I starve myself and it's pissing me off.

So that's my story.

Also, I'm halfway through my Christmas shopping! Yahoo!

We *have* to get that printed on the official WLB t-shirt!

I read the start (or is it the middle? Not sure) of your novel and I like it. One day you'll be famous. More famous than now I mean.

Silly me thinking that US Thanksgiving was on Monday and wondering why nobody mentioned it. Now I find out it's on a *Thursday*?? Where's the fun in that? Except for an extra-long weekend, of course. So what will you cows be eating?

Went to an information evening last night to do with ds9's further education. After 4th grade they go into something called the "Orientation Level" which encompasses grades 5 and 6. At the end of 6th grade, these babies *have to decide what they want to be when they grow up*. Did YOU know what you wanted to be when you were 12??? After that there are three different types of schools you can send them to. Or other schools that have all the types under one roof but also lots of drugs. It's all so confusing and Germany keeps scoring abysmally in those international student comparisons for the very reason that the kids have to decide so early. Also, school is out at lunch time. Wouldn't want to tax the teachers' (who are civil servants and therefore virtually "unfireable") brains too much, would we? Oh well. Dh hated the grade 5/6 school principal and said "I know a liar when I see one" Uh oh. This should be fun.

This afternoon is a Christmas arts and crafts party in ds6's class. We are supposed to bring something to snack on and this time, instead of slaving over 150 itty bitty home made sugar cookies, I went out and bought a bag of cookies, some Cheese Bugles and a carton of grape juice. What an enlightening experience. Nobody cares anyway.

Hey muffie! How's the Punkin?

I am so confused. Sugar's boys are babies. Why is she talking about school?

Maple Chipotle Sauce comes in a bottle! I got 2 bottles of the stuff in the past year; it's actually a grilling sauce. I'll tell you, it was delicious! I added a bit of olive oil and a splash of sherry to the marinade because it's rather thick. Then I spooned some over the pork while it was broiling (on a low rack to make sure it cooked enough and didn't dry out the outside).

Sugar, I've heard about that nutty school system over there. Good luck.

Parent/teacher conferences went well last night. Every one of DD's teachers claimed she was quiet in class. When did that happen? Not to complain. We were disappointed to find that the school has no intention to allow her to take any credit for the college level classes she's been taking in the summer. Typical. She will just have to sleep through 3 more years of English. Well, at least they will look good on her college apps.

Get this, her computer teacher is afraid of the internet. She doesn't have it at her home because she "has a 17 year old and a 6 year old" (huh?) and has not wanted to let her students who are learning Html to actually publish the school web page they are making. She's waiting until the computer guy who deals with the school's computers has time to "look into the security issues" before letting these kids put anything on the internet. She thinks maybe "over the summer" DD will be learning html in that class next semester. I may have to start getting loud and obnoxious. DD really likes this teacher and is enjoying the class, but good grief.

Hi Cherry, Hi Muffie!!
Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Kiwi

I am thankful for Bagz because she is so sweet and came to Boston to get me one time. She is also talented beyond belief and has beautiful children, home and dh. Her mom is perfect as was her dad. She is so good at saying hudda and typing in all caps with no paragraph breaks. She has style.

I am thankful for Brattie because she decided to like us. Sometimes it's not easy to break into an established group. She seems to feel guilty for being neat so that's nice too.

I am thankful for Cherry because she is so productive. Although I don't accomplish much in a day, I know someone who does. She also has red hair which makes her special and in the pictures of her we've seen, she's BEAUTIFUL. Cherry has much in her life to envy and doesn't seem to realize it.

I am thankful for Kiwi because she is smart and good and honest and has gorgeous taffy-colored hair. She is a great mom (as we all are) and her school district is lucky she allows them to have her child in their classrooms. Kiwi also posts more often than some others and helps hold us together. When Dusty gets us on the Oprah Show (is that still on?) Kiwi should get to sit next to Oprah. Kiwi is always helpful too. That means she is capable of helping, not just willing. Someday I will resize that picture.

I am thankful for Lush because when she bothers to show up I am so happy. Lush just makes people happy. Isn't that a wonderful gift. She helped me get Herbie and I can hardly wait for her to help me on to something better. Lush is my true sissy and I love her. I can't wait to get my Christmas crack-laced mints.

I am thankful for Muffie because she keeps showing up. That may not make sense at first glance but it's a complicated universe.

I am thankful for Sugar because she is so international and sophistocated. She also is sweet and soothing and funny. Whenever I think of someone snooty where snootiness is not deserved, the butcher's wife comes to mind. Sugar makes us cool because we have young people who like to hang out here.

I am thankful for Wabby because she is always so normal and cheerful and provides a sort of sanity anchor for this bunch. Also, she's always "improving" herself in some weird way which gives us something to talk about. Wabby is wise and gives good advice. Wabby is generous and kind and no wonder her ds's girlfriend is always around.

I am thankful for 3FC because they keep the site open for us and grow cuter in their pictures.

Peaches! That was so sweet! I'm going to print out the Wabby part and read it to myself every time I start to think I'm a schlump. And for some reason the part about Muffie and the complicated universe thing was very touching. And of course, every wonderful thing about all the other wonderful cows was true. And I'm thankful for all the same reasons and I'm thankful for you, little Peach-pie, because you are such a talented writer that you can put it all down in black and white, and also because you are you, so talented and brave and feisty.

At the last minute DH has decided that it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without having my wacky extended family over, even though at first he said no way. Soooo I'm cooking for 16 ppl instead of our nuclear family of 6 (DH, DD, DS, GF, & DS's friend). I will be up at dawn for the marathon cook, which will be consumed within 20 minutes.

Who will be putting up Christmas lights the day after Thanksgiving?

That is so nice! I'm thankful for all of you too, especially Peaches who actually talks to me on Instant Messaging!

Wabbit, are you telling me that all these people made no plans for Thanksgiving themselves -- they just waited for an invitation from you? I'm thinking that some of them might have showed up even if you never did invite them Well, have a good time. Hope they don't drive you crazy!

Kiwi

Kiwi, I think they all were waiting for me to call. My older sister was going to go out to a restaurant w/ her 2 grown children, & my brother & his family were going to have dinner at home, but were more than happy to change plans when I called. What can I say? I have a whacky family

They won't drive me crazy, but DH gets a little heeby-jeeby from them. Hey - they're family, and even if they're sometimes annoying, they're mine.

I wish all you lovelies a wonderful holiday, even you Canadians, who have your Thanksgiving dates mixed up!

I am so touched. Sissy, you are the best. Have you made your new list? I can not help you find a new man if you don't have a list. Are you dolling up every day?
I am cooking my little heart out. I am only having the six of us, a little of a letdown for me, but fine with the rest of my family. We plan to have fun. They are all helping(?) me cook and hopefully this spirit will continue through clean-up.
My son was in the paper for winning his soccer championship. I was in the paper for getting hired by a new school district. I am changing districts. I'm going from a k-6 district to a k-12 district so that if I ever want to work full time, I can get a job.
I, too, am amazed that Sugar's darlings are of the age to choose careers. No school is perfect. My kids have a choice between half dead nuns whose education pre-dates the decimal system and a state of the art public school that is under seige, they lose at least two half days a month to bomb scares. My neighbor has abandoned her locker because she's afraid to ask the bully next to her to move. No one can go into the bathrooms because they are completely taken over by drug dealers. . I know that it is just because we're so close to a city, but it boggles my mind that the adults in the school tolerate this stuff. I do not understand how parents make it through the day when their kids are there all day. That is not where I'm going to work, I'm going to another school where three teachers have been fired for hitting students and a bus driver was fired for selling drugs & having sex with 13 year olds. I assume this sort of stuff doesn't happen in more isolated places like Dogpatch and Maine. Am I right? I hope so.
If Brattie is so nice, why doesn't she tell us how not to be slobs?
Here is what I'm making:
Turkey
bread stuffing
potato filling
mashed turnips(cut up by dh)
green bean goop
cranberry sauce
corn
pickled cucumbers(chopped by ds)
rolls
banana bread(made by dd)
pumpkin pie(made by dd)

I'm getting fatter just thinking about it. As all of you know, I cook with real butter and heavy cream. Remember that weight I lost?

I got this presumably well-meaning email from Herbie regarding the singles group we used to attend (and which I think he now attends again). The woman who runs the group lives in Dogpatch and Herbie says she has invited the group to her house tomorrow night for Thanksgiving. He didn't say when. He didn't give the address. He said I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE ANYONE TO SUGGEST ANYTHING BUT .....

Someone tell me if a man can say a thing like that and not intend to be mean.

But what? "But you ought to go and find yourself a new man?" "But I'm going to go and I want to know if you are going to show up and cramp my style?" "But if you comb your hair and brush your teeth I might be willing to take you to this shindig?" "But your son is old enough to start attending these things by himself?" "But they need sweet taters and you're the only person I know who puts pecans in hers?" "But if it's not too late, I'll stop by afterwards and eat your leftovers?"

Yeah, kind of mean. Kind of prickly. Very oversensitive. I'm not sure it's intentional, but it definitely shows where his head is.

Kiwi

thank you Kiwi. It was BUT here's something you can do because I'll be with my family in another town.

First of all - Peaches is sooooooo sweet! Thank you for your inspiring words, darling - made me blush


And second of all - Herbie is mean, mean, mean. Is he trying to run your life through e-mail now? Don't stand for it! I know you wouldn't anyway.

Hope you cows have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Remember to keep within your daily limit of 60 grams of fat - NOT!

Lushie! I can't believe I never gave you the recipe for sweet potato casserole. And now it's too late. Or maybe not. If you need it, it's at All Recipes.com under "Sweet Potato Casserole" (of all things). There were several different recipes and I just combined them all, as per usual, leaving out the bits I didn't like.

CU!

Sissy , remember when we lost Herbie in NYC? Did we make a mistake finding him? Maybe we should have left him standing on that corner.
We could also interpret his email as a desire to relieve his guilt or a desire to make sure that this is not an unpleasant holiday for you.
Sugar it is sweet of you to offer Sweet Pot recipes, but in truth, I don't like sweet pot. I don't cook anything I don't like. I'm selfish.
I LOVE turnips. Love them. We have TONS of turnips. I will be the only person who eats them. I am tasting my food and I find that my stuffing is greasy. I have it in the oven to dry out a little. My turkey is perfect. My filling and turnips are in the oven and I am about to get the beans and corn out.
I woke up this morning to no power. So, I am two hours behind on my schedule. Too bad. The boys are out riding their bikes and DD is watching Godspell because that is what they are doing (again) for the school play.
I am serious, Brattie, I think your holiday gift to us should be to share with us how to be neat. We used to have a cleanie in our group, her name was June . She provided comic relief for many months, but then found us wanting. Well, not us. I was away at the time that the rest of the group alienated our only thin cleanie. Naturally it was the dark menopausal set who did this.
I should stop this procrastinating foolishness and make some gravy.
bye

I don't believe I've ever eaten a turnip, Lush, but I'll try almost anything once. Do they taste anything like kohlrabi? Do you bake them, or what?

Don't you ever wonder what happened to Hoochie Mama and Carrie and Swiss Chocolate and all the rest of those dears? How can people just disappear like that? You'd think they'd show up on the net *somewhere*. I always seem to run into the same people in the circles I circulate in. Just shows how boring I am.

Anyone have Frappe's new address? Did she move yet? I suppose she'll let us know.

An awful thing. I was over at TimeBomb2000 (don't go there - it's not good for one's sanity) and there is a woman there from Kentucky or somewhere whose 44 year old sister got *abducted in the Wal-Mart parking lot* by two armed and dangerous escaped robbers with no IQs to speak of. This was on Nov. 14 and they *still* haven't found her. You've probably seen it on the news. It's an evil world, I tell ya.

Enjoy that turkey!