I WILL HAVE TO RUN DOWNSTAIRS IN THE MORNING AND DIDN'T WANT TO MISS OUR CEEJAY'S BIRTHDAY



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:gift:CEEJAY..........I WISH FOR YOU A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY:hb:

HOPE ALL YOUR WISHES COME TRUE ON YOUR SPECIAL DAY :wizard:

MAY YOU ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF YOUR BIRTHDAY!:cheers:


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Happy Birthday Ceejay - hope you have a really fun day!

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morning chicks. quick post.
need to get wash done and the office too.
hope you all have a great day.




happy....bugs abound everywhere. seems like our gnats have trippled this year. 2 towns away they had to spray for mosquitos they were so bad. enjoy the fire pit when it's done. you two will love it.



shad.....omg!! what a story with the car, van & woman. geez!! poor ds2 worrying about the tools and all. what a world we live in. nothing & no one is safe. the gf sounds like she will come in handy in the future!! tell him to hold on to this one she sounds smart!!
loved the sound of dinner....yum!! i'll be right over.
hope you're not wearing your back & muscles out too soon after that long job at the mines. be careful.\



OH CRAP....I LOST MY CAPS...SORRY....YOU'LL HAVE TO DO WITH ANY TYPOS!! ROFLMAO

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY CEEG!!!! Enjoy your day and be kind to yourself.

QUACK QUACK QUACK....it is raining in Indianapolis, and something about lil green apples that LAURA referred to in an earlier post...lol Of course, I watered the H out of my gardens last night, thinking the rain prediction was a bunch of bunk as usual. Hope the plants don't drown...

Went to see Hope Springs yesterday. A very good movie. I was getting a bit sad at the ending until the real end came. I loved it. You know, I could relate to "Kay" when I was married. THere was no "loving" romance no matter how much I tried. But I guess when the ex was out scouting the entire county he had no time for romance. Curtis sure makes up for it tho, he is very loving and romantic. He always asks me if I want to cuddle on the couch before we go to bed while watching TV. Of course I do.

I made mud pie dessert yesterday and shared it with Sis and Chris. We dropped a bowl off on our way to the movies. It is the dessert with the crushed oreo cookies, cream cheese, whipping cream, powdered sugar, chocolate pudding, etc etc. First time I had ever made that, and all went nuts over it and it is so easy to make.

SHADDIE....wow on the stolen car and the woman. That is how they work. One goes by foot while the other drives the truck. Scary sh*t. In and around our neighborhoods....they come in 3 or 4. One goes to the front door and knocks and knocks for like 10 minutes if no one answers they bust in the door and rob your house. It has been going on in Sis's neighberhood for months but they finally caught 3 of the 4 TEENAGERS, like 14-16 years old last weekend. They live in the hood across a major road from Sissy's hood. WHERE are the parents? Really? SHeesh.

HAPPY...had to laugh at your Lil Red Riding hood comment. Me thinks, I wouldn't be thinking about Red passing by as much as the wolf making an appearance. Not to mention the lions, tigers and bears you see up there. lol Always love your pictures...and btw, my dad loved the pix of the birdies. He said he wished he was really there....God love his heart.

MELLIE...I have never heard of a cuban sandwich. Guess I will have to google that one. Might have to add it to my recipe collection. Curtis is always open to trying new things...wink wink..haha, I mean recipes. He never liked meatloaf until he ate mine. Hope you get to go shopping or something this week.

CHELLE...LAURA...the 8th is getting closer, any ideas where we are going to meet yet? It is up to you two to tell me where to go...haha. Hope your weekends were wonderfule.

ELLEN, PATTY, JAVA....check in chickies, we miss you!

Have a wonderful day/night....

Loves and hugs

Happy Birthday, Ceejay!!! I hope you have a wonderful day/week/month/year!!

Quick post for me today....Lots of work to get done. Sorry I didn't check in over the weekend...was busy running errands and decluttering. The upstairs office is about 75% done, and I should have it finished and also the craft loft finished by the end of this weekend. Oh, and I also decluttered/cleaned up a couple of the major hot spots (to use a FlyLady term) in the downstairs. I'm actually enjoying going through the stuff... but it's been really tough emotionally when I found a letter my dad wrote me before he passed away, and when I found the memorial service program for my best friend who passed away 9 months after my dad and 7 months after my mom. And all the photos of loved ones who have past. Dang, it was tough. But I'm grateful to have all those treasured memories.

Laura and Annie - I was thinking about the 8th....it doesn't really matter to me where we go or what we do...I'm just so looking forward to meeting and spending time with you both!

After work, I've got to pick up some meds for Mischief...and go to the store to pick up stuff for my department's potluck lunch tomorrow. I've signed up for Chips and Salsa because I hate to cook and because I knew I'd be busy over the weekend. When I finally do get home, I hope to get in at least an hour of decluttering. :)

I'll try and check back in later for personals.

Good morning chicks! Sorry I was almost all caught up on Friday, then had to work and never got back here. Kids are back n school, so 3 of my 4 are gone for most of the day...so that leaves me and DD3. I wanted to put her into preschool this year, but it really is too expensive. I signed us up for a Mom and tots meetup group. going out this morning for the first time. Hope we get to meet some nice ppl.

I worked Friday and Saturday, then I took Yesterday and today off. DH was supposed to be out of town for work...he didn't have to go, so we have been able to spend some family time together.

On actual weight loss...I am down a total of 11pounds. not bad since I kinda took the summer off, but now it is back to tracking and getting some exercise.

Gotta get rollling today. Hope everyone has a great day!!

OH....almost forgot!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CEEJAY!!!

CHELLE...sounds like you are getting a lot accomplished around the house as far as decluttering. Be easy on your back sister. I know what you mean about coming across some memorabila of our loved ones. Heck I cry without even seeing any of it. Hugs.

ELLEN...glad you got some quality time with the family on your days off. 3 of 4 in school that must seem like a vacation in itself.

Have a great day!!

Morning Worldlies. Happy Monday. NOT.

Our auditors are here already and I have a meeting in 20 min with them. I hope my involvement will be limited. Anyway, will have to come back later and catch up, but I just wanted to wish Ceejay a happy birthday today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CEEJAY!!!

:bday2you:

Back again....I'm in a good mood today. Not sure why...maybe it's the successful implementation from Friday evening. Maybe it's the cafe mocha I'm just finishing. :coffee:

A friend of mine that I used to work with is applying for a job here. He wants to talk with me tonight or tomorrow night in preparation for his interview later this week. I really hope he gets the job here. Even though I wouldn't be working with him directly...I know that this is a good company, and he's not being treated well where he is (sound familiar?).

The Estroven I've been using has been very helpful. The daytime hot flashes have reduced in frequency and intensity, and the night sweats are gone. :yay: I'm going to make an appointment with a new doc for early September, and hopefully, she'll say there's nothing wrong with me continuing to take it. It does have a bit of soy in it, and I've been leary of ingesting soy based products due to a potential for increased risk of breast cancer (which I'm at risk for anyway due to family history of it).

We didn't get to Germanfest this weekend. DMIL wanted to stay home and get things ready for the trip to CA and subsequent move out here. She's so stressed about moving, having to get a new doctor, being away from her daughters and their families (who are making her feel very guilty about leaving). :faint: Such unnecessary drama.

DMIL was in a very crabby mood yesterday evening. Most of the day, she was fine. We all went out to breakfast, and she relaxed while I decluttered, then when I was ready for a break, she and I watched Twilight: Eclipse (she loves the Twilight series as much as I) while she helped me fold clothes. Then she went down for a nap (since she didn't sleep the night before), and woke up crabby as all heck. Pitching a fit about everything. Hopefully she'll be in better spirits when I get home.

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Shad - Wisconsin is DEFINITELY the festival state! Ever since we moved here, I've always joked that if you live in the Metro Milwaukee area and you're bored on a summer weekend, it's your own dang fault. There is always some festival or fair to go to, usually several on the same weekend. This weekend coming up, there are two nearby county fairs, and there's the Scottish Highland Games, and a Harley Davidson rally, not to mention all the Labor Day parades, festivals and fireworks. All your talk of digging is making my back hurt, but you surely are getting a good workout! :strong: That's really scary about the car, van and woman casing the neighborhood where DS2's rental house is. I hope the cops catch the crooks. So nice that DS and his gf made dinner after you worked so hard digging and hauling dirt.

Laura - No gym for me this week as classes are on a break. But I'll get back there next week. I'm getting enough exercise doing the decluttering. Good luck at the meeting with the auditors. Fingers crossed :crossed: that your involvement is limited.

Mel - I love stuffed peppers, but I have to make them using red peppers or they are just too acidy for my tummy. I hope Jen's pain eases up soon. I know I don't have to tell you both how much chronic pain sucks and how exhausting it can be. Is Jen experiencing hot flashes? Seriously, you had to remind the tenant to reset the GFI? I'm surprised you don't have people come to you with electronics problems because the cord isn't plugged in. :faint:

Happy - Thanks for all the critter photos! The birds are so lovely...as are the mama and baby deer. What a treat!! I've never seen turkeys sleeping...they must feel especially safe in your yard. :) Bummer that your walk in the woods wasn't as enjoyable as it could've been. Gotta be careful on the uneven terrain, and I hate buggy trails. So cool that you bought a firepit. We have one made of cinder blocks that was here when we moved in. Most houses around us have one. It's perfect for bonfires, but does not have a grill.

Annie - Excellent news on the new fridge!! That's fantastic!! What a bargain!! So glad you enjoyed Hope Springs. I know I'd like it, but I doubt I'd get DH to watch it. He does not like "chick flicks". :rofl: Glad to hear that C is loving and romantic and is treating you well. I'm so happy for you, sis! :D Mud pie dessert sounds yummy. Can you share the recipe please? Scary that the burglaries in DD's neighborhood
are being committed by young teenagers!! Sheesh! Your comment about the decluttering and my back is true...the decluttering is hard on my back. Even though I do it sitting down, all the reaching and tossing things in different piles. I can really feel it after a couple hours.

Ellen - Glad that 3 of the 4 kids got off to school okay. :) The Mom and tots meetup group sounds fun. I hope it is, and that you both make friends. So nice that your DH didn't have to go out of town and you actually had some family time. :) Congrats on the weight loss!! :bravo:

Gotta get back to programming...the code I need for this project isn't going to write itself.

Good Monday morning girls,

Happy Birthday Ceejay :hb: Hope you are having a good day so far! Did alot of work yesterday and even got a bit of sunburn on my chest for my efforts. We went for a stroll, built the firepit (which I hope to try out tonight), watered the garden, did some laundry and picking up and made dinner. DH took out some sod to put the pit in and I moved that across the yard over to where we have a trench that needs filling in. It was tiring work and all the while I was thinking about Shad and Annie who love being and working outside! Now that we are feeding them, we seem to have attracted a bunch of goldfinches. DH was sitting on the deck enjoying a lemonade and said there must be at least a dozen out there flying through the trees. And that's not counting the chickadees or the whipporwills (sp ?) They sound so pretty singing. We also have some very large bird on the edge of the property. We've only caught a passing glance - not enough to see what it is. It's a big bird - at least the size of my arm from elbow to fingertip. We both think it's a pileated woodpecker. We hope so - they are very cool looking birds - black and white body with a brilliant red head. Cousin said they are abundant around here and so far we've only seen one once. I went out to right the bird bath the raccoons knocked over last night and as I approached the area the bird was in the trees and flew off. I can't tell you how much nicer it is here enjoying nature and peacefulness instead of the concrete and annoyances of human strangers. But I hear more and more people who live in the cities saying they are just getting tired of people. :^:

Laura - AUDITORS :yikes: the only way it could be worse is if it was auditors from the Internal Revenue Service :eek: :lol: Seriously, I hope they don't interfere too much with your day. Good luck with that.

Ellen - hope your Mom and Tots group has some people that you will enjoy spending time with. Does the house seem almost too quiet with most of the kids in school? Congrats on the 11 pounds down this summer - that's great!!!!! :yay:

Michelle - great job on the decluttering. Sounds like you are making serious and steady progress. A little bit at a time keeps you trekking to your goal. As for the mementos, I totally understand getting all emotional but on the other hand, what treasures they are. I keep a memory box of stuff like that - one of the things I cherish is a 5 dollar bill. My favorite aunt and I started sending it back and forth to each other - first for things like birthday and Christmas but then we started sending it for random occasions like Flag Day :lol: Of course it always came with a day brightening letter - I'd smile just when I saw the envelope in the mail. So it's good to have those things.

Annie - glad you enjoyed the movie. I think many people will be able to relate, see a bit in it. It's not Oscar worthy but a very, very popular movie. Happy that you found a loving match in C ♥ That Mud Pie dessert is good - I had a bit of it at a pot luck. Usually that's the kind of stuff that had too much sugary stuff for my tastes but it's really light. The kids are lucky you love to share :lol: I had my first Cuban sandwich at Bahama Breeze restaurant chain. It's a sandwhich on a soft hoagie type roll. Pulled pork (think cook a roast down and shred it with a fork), add some slices of deli ham, yellow mustard, swiss cheese and top it with some nice slices of dill pickle - think of the big fat ones they used to have in the crocks at the Mom and Pop deli's. :hungry: :T I am not a fan of dill pickles or mustard or salty ham but there is just something about this sandwich where all the flavors are amazing. I cook mine in the panini pan to crisp up the bun and help melt the cheese. Ok, now I am hungry :D

Shad - that is a really scary story about the burglars. I guess things are no different on your side of the pond. DS needs to be careful - most of those people are petty thieves but sometimes you get professionals who will shoot you just for the sport of it. Sorry to hear that city life is just as gone to the dogs as it is here. Dinner sounded good. I guess you eat lamb the way we eat beef out this way. Here lamb is more of a special occasion dish - unless you are Greek. You would probably very much enjoy the whole lamb my former Greek neighbors in Chicago make for family get togethers. They have a big homemade spit and roast the thing for days.

Mel - I think many places are dealing with an abundance of mosquitoes and West Nile sickness this year. It isn't too bad here although they are out and the other day there was a monster sized skeeter in the bathroom that got away before I could smash it. Hope you have a quick in and out downstairs so you can get back to fun stuff like washing. Do you have to use a common laundry room in the building?

Guess that's just about it for me. Trash day tomorrow. I need to clean out the refrigerators to organize them as much as look for bits that need to be discarded. I have some tomatoes to use up - guess I'll make another batch of sauce. If I feel like it, might stop in town and pick up some Italian bread for bruschetta which I have a taste for. Gotta stop watching these cooking shows although I am looking for ideas to use up stuff and found a few good recipes. Have a good day all.

Today's picture - my herb garden is starting to peter out. I guess if I want stuff over the winter I will have to keep planting seeds in planters and some of the stuff like chives seems to do much better in the ground than a pot :(

I have this watermelon sage - I picked it up because it said it produces red flowers that hummingbirds love. Well as we are getting to the end of season and the birds are stoking up for their long trip south, they are checking out not only the feeders but any and every flower in the yard. They really do love the sage. We've been trying for a couple of weeks to get a picture of a hummer on one of the flowers - they check out each flower quickly and you have about 30 seconds to react before they move on. Yesterday DH was hot and tired after building the firepit so was relaxing on the deck with a cool glass of lemonade. He decided to sit with the camera just in case and was rewarded with his patience. He got one and only one shot of a bird on the flowers and I think it's a pretty good one.

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Michelle - had to laugh at your comment about Hope Springs and DH. I think mine wiggled out of going at the last minute for the same reason even tho he said he'd go when we saw the trailers. ;)

Sorry DMIL is in a bad mood. I'm sure the finality of it is on her mind and it certainly doesn't help that the folks on the west coast are guilting her. :mad: When your away from the drama you tend to forget why you wanted to leave in the first place. I hope she will be okay with her decision. And you too ;)

Good idea about using the red peppers for stuffed peppers. Thanks for the suggestion - I don't like cooked green ones but love the others.

Ok, gotta get off this computer now. Bye. :wave:

HAPPY...love the hummingbird picture. I have one of those feeders that suction onto the window and usually come early morning you can catch one or two buzzing around it. I love our fire pit, hope you all can enjoy yours as much.

CHELLE...I may have to try the Estrovan myself. I am sick of sweating at night. and flashing during the day.

Prayers needed...my brother in Bellevue, IL is having 5 open heart by-pass as I type. I was going to go over for support but his wife is not very friendly with me. She does not like any of my siblings. Witchy! He is 57 years old.

Happy - Great photo of the hummingbird!! Thanks for the tip about watermelon sage. I'll definitely get some to plant next year. DMIL, DH and I love to watch all birds, and especially hummingbirds. As for city vs. country...it's funny cuz a friend of ours in Chicago LOVES the city. Whereas DH and I really prefer the country. I can handle Chicago for a few hours...a day at the most. Then I just get claustrophobic and panicky with all the traffic. I don't know how I survived in Silicon Valley for as long as I did...oh yeah, I remember...I was horribly stressed out all the time. I'm so glad there's virtually no traffic in my commute, and I don't have to go to downtown Milwaukee hardly ever. :) You bring up good points about why DMIL was probably so crabby. Luckily, even though we can occasionally get snappy towards each other, we get over it pretty quickly. I'm sure we'll do fine. Crazy thing is that the same daughters who are begging her not to move because they'd miss her terribly are the ones that when she is in CA never take the time to visit her, spend time with her or take her anywhere fun. GRRR! Don't get me started on them. As for peppers, I can't remember the last time I ate a green pepper...maybe a little bit on a pizza...but not in any quantity...just too hard on my tummy.

Annie - I'm still flashing occasionally during the day...like an hour or so ago when the stress level was high here as there were major issues on two of our websites. But at least I'm not flashing every hour or two, and no night sweats...and no "pins and needles" feeling...like I want to jump out of my skin. Hard to explain...but it makes it VERY difficult to concentrate on work or anything. Sending lots of prayers to your DB for a successful surgery and speedy and complete recovery. Many healing :hug: and :goodvibes:.