Steel Magnolias #26

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  • Good morning to you all! It started raining last night and is probably going to rain all day today. It is a nice continuous rain, down constant downpour. At least it is light enough Fortune is willing to go out to go to the bathroom!

    Yesterday we started packing and arranging. Jack told me he had packed all his stuff and didn't even need the second bag. No surprise they are huge, but I know I have to have both and maybe his too! Since we are staying two nights at a hotel on our way, I have to pack a separate bag to take into the hotels, then one of our new medium sized bag is packed as a carryon to the ship and has our meds, shampoo and stuff and our dress clothes for Sunday night's dining room since they said bags often don't get to the rooms in time for early dining. It was a bit confusing and mainly I just want to make sure what I have packed is already scratched off the list.

    Jean: I haven't had kfc chicken in a long long time. We usually get chicken from Kfc and sides from Popeyes. I think we are going to buy paint with built in primer and see how it covers. One of the things I think he means by having to do two coats is you can see the roller marks on dark paint. We painted our dining room and stairway and upper landing a darker yellow and I notice you can see roller marks and the walls underneath were cream colored. It still costs quite a bit to knit or crochet anything. Jay's socks yarn alone is about $15. That's why I don't take on paid projects. No one wants to pay $25-$50+ for a darn pair of socks.

    Maggie: I have never bought tuna in oil. You then have to rinse the stuff anyway. I don't care for albacore though as it tends to be dry. Jack won't eat tuna so I buy those little lunch sized cans if I want to make something with tuna.

    Well, chores are calling me so I better get to them. Have a great day all. Faye
  • Monday Monday

    GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

    Another beautiful day in the neighborhood. No wind ~ just a nice breeze currently in the 60º range and not expected to get over the 70ºs this day. However, the wind is expected to pick up as the day gets older. After all fall starts this week on Saturday so it really should get cooler. I weighed the same this morning on my scale but my official weight will be when I weigh in at WW this evening.

    I received my latest addition of Cooking Light magazine and it has some yummy quick bread recopies in it which are all around 5P+ a slice. However with the fruits and nuts that are in them they are more of desert bread then sandwich bread if you know what I mean. They have lightened up some of the great banana breads which they say their flavors are over the top. We shall see when I try one or two of the recipes. They all look like they will freeze well so we can have a slice and freeze the rest. A toasted slice of one of these with a boiled egg and some fruit would make a great brunch I would think. I think the first one I will try is the Kumquat-Cranberry Cornmeal Loaf which they say you can substitute 2 T of slivered orange rind strips for the kumquat which I will no doubt do if there aren’t any kumquats in this town to be had. The Walnut Streusel Bread recipe looks good also so I may give it a try soon and the Sweet Potato Bread along with some others that sound so yummy. And to think I wasn’t going to save any more recipes because I have so many already . . . Well the old saying is “the good plans of mice and men oft go astray.” I am not a nor a man but my plans do go astray. Magazines must be doing articles on bread this month for Will bought home a “Grit” magazine which is an issue of their “Country Skills Series” which is a guide to homemade bread with 53+ keys to successful bread making. Interesting articles including recipes for burger buns, bagels, pretzels & pizza crust along with lots of other breads. I can adapt any of the recipes to my little bread machine. Since I have cut back drastically on my bread eating it has to be a very special bread for me to eat it now days and home-made is the best.

    Today I need to make Will some business cards and do some other projects for him on my desk top publishing program. Fun stuff for me to do and a chore for him so I gladly take on the job. Other than that I don’t have anything else on my “to do” list for this Monday except menu for the week planning so I will have all ingredients I will need on hand. I may even make a loaf of bread.

    DONNA FAYE I imagine it is a great feeling to have your bags packed. I think it is great they have packaged tuna in small tins which makes it great to take along on a lunch on the road for us. The can can stay sealed until it is to be used and then there is no waste. I keep both sizes on hand. Neither one of us eat fish all that much at home but we both like tuna on occasion. I would love it if a Red Lobster restaurant would come to this town. I eat most of the fish out at a restaurant since Will is not a big fan of it. I can get it grilled at most places which is program friendy. I don't mind Will not caring for it that much for I can get it as much as I really want to. He loves to fish and will eat what he catches though. Will can always order a burger at a Red Lobster restaurant for he doesn't complain nor mind taking me there. I do have some fish in the freezer which I prepare when he isn't here for a meal.

    Have a wonderful day Magnolias.
  • Good Afternoon, Flowers! It's been a rainy chilly morning in my corner of the world. I think "fall" is seriously here, but now the sun is peeking out. There wasn't much money at church this morning, nor at the gift shop so I am done with both. My house looks like a disaster zone with everything out of place on the main floor. The painter will be here in 7 to 10 days depending on when he finishes the job he started today -- a 3 story house and he's painting every room.

    Maggie -- Our chicken dinner was from a local restaurant, not KFC. Since the Mexicans took over KFC, they have changed the recipes -- their food is terrible! I will have to look for the light tuna, but I've always bought it packed in water.

    "Gma" -- The only time we buy KFC is on the way to the lake because it is still the "authentic" recipes. I don't have the knack of packing a suitcase so that my clothes don't come out all wrinkles, and that drives me ! My mom always rinsed tuna with boiling water because she didn't like fish but would eat tuna in a casserole.

    I have card club tonight and am looking forward to getting away from my mess here! I do need to do some laundry and get my pile of magazines ready for the hospital.

    Have a monkey marvelous Monday and enjoy!
  • Good afternoon, ladies! An overcast day and 79 degrees with thunderstorms this evening and tomorrow.

    I had water aerobics and yoga at the Y this AM and tonight at 6 will be the first meeting for the Losing to Win challenge that I signed up for at the Y. It will be interesting to see how they do this.

    Faye, I know you will have everthing perfectly organized and ready to go on time. I don't make quilts for people for the same reason you don't knit - they aren't willing to pay enough to cover materials let alone my time.

    Jean, I never go to KFC, Bojangles, Church's or Hardee's and get a chicken dinner. Too many points for my day. Anyway, I like mine better.

    Maggie, next time you are looking for those pans, look for toaster oven pans. I have some that are the size you mentioned made by Nordic Ware that are marketed for toaster ovens. I never buy tuna in oil, but I do confess I like the Albacore best. I don't eat it often enough to be concerned about the Mercury. Good luck at WW tonight. I know you will show a loss.

    Have a wonderful evening.
  • Good morning to you ladies. It rained again all night last night again, but it is dry at the moment though really cloudy.

    I never got the rest of my stuff packed yesterday so will gamely try again tonight. I wasn't feeling well all day yesterday and went to bed early. I was supposed to exfoliate and then start applying the tan towels, but will start it today. I am still not up to snuff, but just have to work through it I guess.

    Jean: All 4 of my dresses and my long skirt are what they call slinky matterial and it does not wrinkle no matter what you do to it. I folded them into little squares. My cotton capris wrinkle a lot. I am taking wrinkle reducer spray, but I can't take my steamer, they don't allow them, so it is the best I can do. I guess having all the extra room might make it easier to not have wrinkled clothes. My son-in-law won't eat green beans cooked in the water from the can. She has to drain it and cook them. She doesn't use a lot of canned veggies though. Nowadays she can cook well enough she uses fresh veggies.

    Susan: People ask me to make things and I try to be nice and explain how expensive it would be, but then they want me to give them a price and when I do, they get mad and say I am gouging or some such. Like you, my supplies alone cost quite a bit. I guess they think you should put in all that work for nothing. They don't like it much when it is someone I would do something for free and tell them I can't because of other projects. For me, socks take a long time, more so than even sweaters or blankets, I guess because of the tiny needles and then many more stitches. People think because socks are smaller they take no time at all to whip a pair up so I should have tons of time for them and it just isn't so.

    Maggie: Jack and I both like Red Lobster, but we don't go there much as it can get pretty expensive. We don't eat out nearly like we used to. I just stay home and cook.

    Gotta get to my chores. Have a good day. Faye
  • Good Morning, Flowers! It's a chilly 34 degrees in my corner of the world and the furnace is humming along! The sun was out but clouds are moving in so not sure what kind of day it will be. I'm going to the paint store this morning and maybe donate blood this afternoon. Bob left for the office but will head to the lake to drain pipes after lunch.

    Susan -- It will be interesting to learn what the Losing to Win program is all about. I wish we had Y here. We haven't eaten at our KFC for several years; it's not clean and the altered recipes are gross.

    "Gma" -- I hope you are feeling better today. I wish someone would invent something so cotton clothing wouldn't wrinkle so badly. I iron capris or t-shirts and after sitting in the car one could never tell. When a salesperson promotes "wrinkle free" I just laugh and comment that the wrinkles are free with the purchase price all right!

    Maggie -- What are you up to today?

    Does anyone ever hear from Gail?

    Hope you all have a terrific Tuesday, accomplish something you've been putting off, and enjoy the day!
  • Titilating Tuesday

    GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

    The weather here is still in it’s summer mode but slowly cooling down. The little bit of rain we got sure greened up the lawns. The vast lawn around the church is beautiful and ours is as well. Will worked hard on getting them weed free since we have been here and it has paid off. Some of the talking heads are saying that since we had such a hot summer that we will get more snow this year. Well, we will see about that when the time comes. Whatever “will be will be” and we will deal with whatever that it is.

    Well I showed a loss of 0.2 at weigh in last evening but I guess I had better look at it as going in the right direction. All of the point 2’s add up to a pound. This is slow going but it is still going. It’s like a slow drip of a faucet. Pretty soon the bucket can be filled up even though it takes longer that way but it eventually gets there. Yep, I am a slow drip. And a drip none the less. I picked up a WW handout last evening entitled “Your 5% Goal” which I am going to read over and over this coming week to help me keep my FOCUS. I do believe I can do this thing as long as I do keep my FOCUS. I picked up the latest WW book called I ♥ LEFTOVERS and am going to have fun today getting acquainted with it. At first glance it looks good. One of the recipes that caught my eye when I first popped the book open is the Pork, Potato, and Green Chile Stew. Yep, I am going to like this book.

    There is a young man that works with Will at the museum who has adopted Will as his father. His own father passed away several years ago. He is a college student and just adores Will. He texted him this morning and asked him to “please” come into the museum for he needed to talk to him. So you know where Will has gone now. Cecil just told me to open the bedroom door. He didn’t ask but just TOLD me. What a character. I am now in a very quiet house. I think I will play some music ~ Mama’s & Pappas is in my player so I will play that one. Monday ~ Monday.

    JEAN Wow it is chilly in your neck of the woods. We are still in Summer mode here. It is great that you give blood. I would give but they don't want mine because of my meds. Hope you find what you are looking for at the paint store. Choices. Paint is something that you can't change if you have applied it and then find out you don't don't like what you have chosen. I do occasionaly get an e-mail from Gail.

    DONNA FAYE We also have stopped eating out as often as we used to. I totally understand about the work that goes into knitting and then the price that you would have to charge. The folks that have never done anything like that usually don't have a clue what "time" it does take. With the prices of things constantly going up for my materials to build houses I don't know many who will buy from me now and I totally understand. I got a kick out of one lady who wanted to make one for herself and wanted to learn how ~ I told her I would be happy to teach her ~ so for starters I gave her a catalogue from the company I buy from so she could get set up to make one. She hasn't said another thing about it. I have invested several hundreds of dollars in equipment here in my office. However I have sold enough now to have paid for it all plus some. I will mainly keep my equipment to make gifts with. I did make a house for every lady that goes to chruch here and gifted it to them.

    SUSAN I did find pans that will work from a place called Kitchen Works for they had the cookie sheets and you can buy them separate. Other sets I have seen don't come with the cookie sheet. I ordered 2 of them for I want one to put with our camping equipment that will fit in our camp oven. What I use in that oven has to be smaller than 10 x 10. It is a small oven that fits on a two burner Coleman stove. The oven is trick for it colapses to a small square and fits in a case and is easy to tote. I can use this little pan for several dishes. When I get something for camping it has to have the capability to have more than one use. No "speciality" items is the rule.

    PS: I have looked through that new WW cookbook and there are a whole lot of good sounding recipes that I plan on trying so I maked them with my stilky note type stickers.

    Have a great day Magnolias.
  • Good morning girls! My last posting day until we get back. Tomorrow is going to be super busy and I know I would never get in here and we leave before the rooster crows on Friday morning.

    I started my tan towels last night so we shall see how they work. Jack helps me with my back and what I can't reach. I have a whole box of large sized gloves from my ostomy days so we wear those to put the stuff on so it doesn't color our palms. It is easy peasy and I hope it gives me just a bit of color.

    I see on my list for today I have to pack and get my hormone refilled so guess I will go to CVS website after I get done here and put in a request for refill and pick it up tomorrow. Otherwise, I won't have enough to cover the trip as I take two a day. Jack is going to help with packing tonight since the bags are so huge. He has all his done pretty much except for a few last minute things, but I haven't done much yet and will do my majority tonight after dinner.

    Tomorrow I have nails and toenails to get done, car washed and vacuumed out, dog to Kelly's house, gased up car and get ice for ice chest, out to dinner and back home to do a quick load of laundry since I have just enough summer clothing to take for 10 days. I then have to pack it and we will pack most of the car tomorrow night.

    I am down about 10 lbs overall. It is tough taking this medicine and trying to lose weight. Sometimes I just feel like I am starving. I am hoping when I go off them this time, I won't have to go back on them or have another d and c.

    Maggie: Congrats on the loss. Small losses count too. I will have to look into the new cookbook. I have so many though, I don't know about getting more. We shall have to see. It is 53 here this morning, but it warms into the 80's during the daytime. Looks like mid 80's for Florida, but it is going to rain so I am hoping we can still stand on the rails and wave goodbye. We have a flag with a big blue W on it. It means a win for the Cubs, but we are going to take it and hang it over the side so Jackson can see where we are on the ship. There is a seafood restaurant right on the beach that has a webcam that pans the ships when they leave port so Jack is going to send Jay the link with the time so Jackson can watch us pull out. Hopefully, it won't rain and we can wave to him.

    Jean: I haven't heard from Gail in many many moons. I need to hunt up her address and see if her email is still the same and check on her. Good luck with the paint. What did you decide on??? I know you will be glad to have it all done. You have such a cute house. (I can see it on google earth! )

    I am going to miss you guys. You all take care of yourself. I will talk to you when we get back from the sunny caribbean!! Faye
  • Good Morning, Flowers! The sun is shining and the wind is blowing in my neighborhood this morning. Bob just left for the farm so Ernie and I are home alone for the day. I need to run a couple errands this morning and have bell practice later this afternoon. The stray cat has been here for breakfast; I did manage to touch him/her but he/she didn't much like the idea.

    Maggie -- The winter weather predictions are kind of like the political ads lately! It's either going to be very cold and wet or else a very mild winter like last year. I guess we will just have to wait and see! on losing .2#! Any loss is a GREAT loss and you have the scale going in the right direction. I am in the slow drip category right along with with you! Even when I am 100% OP my body hangs on to every ounce possible. Enjoy your new cookbook! We seem to be the last to receive any of the new WW items.

    "Gma" -- on being 10#s lighter! I hope that your body will have a "feel good" time on the cruise! We will miss you too, but know you will have a fun time. I need to go through cookbooks and donate some to the SOS box. For awhile it seemed like every church in the area was making cookbooks and I bought just because I knew a lot of the people who had recipes in them. I'm just not very good at trying recipes that I haven't eaten somewhere else first. I'm still debating on paint colors.

    I need to get busy! I hope you all enjoy a "wonderful" Wednesday!
  • Wonderful Warm Wednesday

    GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

    Another beautiful day in the neighborhood. I was so surprised today for the mail brought me those two little 6x9 cookie sheets with sides, like a jelly roll pan, which I had just ordered the other day from kitchenworksinc.com. I’ll put one with the camp oven and the other in my kitchen to use in my Cuisinart Convection Oven. These pans are well made and I will use non stick aluminum foil in them to keep them nice and shiny. Plus that non stick foil sure makes clean up easier. I have a flat cookie sheet that came with a small oven I had years ago which will be good for items that don’t need sides. I also have a small pizza stone that fits in that camp oven. It all depends on my menu, when we go camping, on what pans I will take along to use in that oven. I like having a choice. And like I have said, “each item must have a dual use. This new pan may just take the place of the stone and the flat sheet. Choices.

    All the talk about chicken made me want to have KFC so Will went out and got our lunch. I ate a grilled breast for 5 P+ and a little container of the potatoes and gravy for 3 P+ and it was so good. The manager is a good friend of ours and his place is doing it correctly like KFC likes it to be. My biscuit is in a plastic bag for Will to eat later if he chooses for I don’t want it. They are so good but I didn’t want to spend the 5P+ it would cost me. That was the first I have eaten today so spending the 8 P+ leaves me enough for a nice dinner after all.

    DONNA FAYE Have a wonderful trip. Like they say ~ 'I wish you fair winds and following seas.' Be safe and know we are all thinking about you and waiting to hear your report of your happenings when you return.

    JEAN And I thought we were the last to get the new items. Do you have that "activelink" thingie there yet? I know they do in CA but not here till after the new program starts. I e-mailed my friend out in CA to see if she can get me one since they are selling them out there. Hope she can for I would like to get started learning how to use it before the holidays. It is probably still in it's "test phase" and only a few states were given them to sell at their meetings.

    Have a lovely afternon Magnolias.
  • Titilating Warm Thursday

    GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

    We seem to be in a holding pattern, weather wise, for we are in the high 70ºs today and will get up to the low 80ºs before the day is over with. Fall officially begins this coming Friday. I think I will celebrate and light my pumpkin candle holder and place it in the center of the dining room table. It is a wire frame pumpkin with little battery operated flame candles dispersed all around that flicker like real candles. A gal gave it to me for my last birthday.

    Thinking of birthdays ~ This advancing in age is for the birds. I find new aches and pains every day I wake up. But I am thankful that I do wake up. My eyes are getting dim for I use readers. OH my, am I truly getting old? Must be. On occasion now I get a hitch in my “get along.” I get this pain in the top of my leg ~ may be in need of a new joint there. Sure hope that isn’t the case. I will just bash on regardless. I know I will feel better when Will gets back from getting me a sf ff vanilla latte. O ~ HE is back now and I will get to feeling so much better after my first sip. This is his afternoon to work at the museum so I will figure out what to make for dinner for when he gets home. I don’t have a clue right now but I will surely figure out something. If I have the ingredients on hand I may try a new recipe out of my latest WW cook book.

    I have mailed off the do re me to my friend out in CA and she will be sending me one of those thumb drive thingies that WW is putting out to track activity progress. It will be interesting on how that “active-link” works to track what activity I end up doing. Those who have them say it makes them want to do more ~ we shall see about that now won’t we.

    Have a great day Magnolias
  • Good Evening, Flowers! It was another nice sunny, but windy, day in my corner of the world. I went to get my nails done first thing this morning, came home and did some serious dusting/vacuuming/decluttering, went to crafty club this afternoon, and an hour long church meeting tonight. I'm ready to head for my book and bed!

    Maggie -- I noticed a sign advertising the WW active link "thing" but we don't have them here yet. Our weather has been cooling way down at night, nippy mornings, and warm afternoons. It definitely feels like fall! I get a painful twinge every once in awhile and still have a big bump from stepping in the hole a couple weeks ago. There is a guy at church who always says, "well, I'm on the right side of the grass!" whenever anyone asks him how he is. He turns 97 this weekend and his family is furnishing birthday cake between church services.

    Not much else is newsy tonight. I need to make a grocery run in the morning but need to make a list first. Hope you all enjoy a FANTASTIC Friday tomorrow!
  • Finally Friendly Friday

    GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

    It is another nice day here in the ♥-Land with the wind not blowing swiftly but a nice breeze. I have been busy this day so far cleaning out some things here in my office. I tend to let things pile up on my desk and need to get them back into their proper little cubicles. Nothing earth shattering ~ just some things that get in my way if they aren’t in their proper place. Will wants me to make a huge pot of chili beans soon. We don’t have any packets of them in the freezer anymore for we have eaten them all up. So now it is time to have some fresh and get some more in the freezer. They freeze well in two serving packets which makes it easy to thaw prior to re-heating. So sometime this coming week I will be making chili beans. I like to use the Carroll Shelby seasonings which makes it easier for the spices are all measured out. However, I don’t use all of the salt of the cayenne. I save what I don’t use in their proper spice holders. I like things spicier than Will does for after his gall bladder surgery, years back, he no long can handle spice like he used to. I am one of the % that surgery doesnt affect that way though, so I can add more heat into my portion after it is cooked. Works for me. I do like my chili peppers. I may make it tomorrow if we get the ingredients all rounded up then.

    JEAN Yep it is nice being on the top side of the grass. I find if I keep tylenol arthritis in me my leg doesn't hurt. Did you make anything in your crafts club. I imagine clubs are now starting on Christmas ornament type things now. Christmas things used to come into the stores after Thanksgiving in November but are now getting there before Halloween in October. In fact we are seeing some things already in the stores and Summer isn't really over yet. Suppose one day it will be an all year event?

    Have a great day Magnolias.
  • Simply Sunny Saturday

    GOOD AFTERNOON MAGNOLIAS

    It is a lovely Saturday ~ first day of Autumn ~ here in the ♥-Land and I have all the ingredients ready to make a large pot of chili beans this afternoon. I do need to get the bell peppers and onions chopped to cook with the ground beef but that will be easy enough. I don’t like kidney beans because they just taste like dough balls to me but Will likes them so he bought a can of them so he can have some added to his portion. Easy enough to do that for sure. I actually think I will work on the house I have cut out today. I have been busy with other things and haven’t done any glass work this week. It will be placed on my dresser in the bedroom when it is finished since we don’t have the shelving put up with the other buildings in the front room. Will has been busy doing other projects and hasn’t gotten to that as of yet. Maybe if I mention it today he will do it. I don’t nag him at all though for I know he will get it done. There is room on the dresser to set a few more houses.

    My hip has been hurting making it hard to walk and I think I have figured out what is causing it. I put an extra shoe lining in that shoe thinking it needed it since my brace is in the other shoe. Evidently it was a little fraction of an inch too much and threw me off kilter and caused my hip to hurt. I have taken it out now and will see if that will help the matter any. That is the only thing I can think of that I have been doing different.

    Cecil just came in here for some attention. He is so some timey ~ when he wants attention, he really wants it but when he doesn’t then don’t bother him. Independent little precious fellow is what he is.

    Have a lovely afternoon Magnolias ~ I am off to do glass work.
  • Monday Monday

    GOOD LATE MORNING MAGNOLIAS

    It is said it will be in the high 70ºs and low 80º this beautiful non windy day in the ♥-Land. This is weigh day and I really don’t expect any loss. I weighed on my scale this morning and am the same here at home with nothing on but my shorty nightie. I think we will be going out to eat at I-Hop after I weigh in and stay for the meeting this evening. Will especially likes the breakfast choices they offer on their menu. I always get something program friendly to eat.

    I didn’t do much exercising but walking this past week due to that pain in my leg ~ I limp along. I have started taking the arthritis meds that are a prescription which I quit taking awhile back because one of the possible side effects is “sudden death.” I took those meds for years and am still here ~ so I surmise that side effect won’t be one I will experience. Right now I want to be able to walk and my leg certainly does need to co-operate. This flare up of a nerve in there will subside soon ~ hopefully. The pain wasn’t as bad this morning as it was yesterday morning. I’m not a kid anymore and have to watch what exercises I do participate in so I don’t injure myself. My WW thumb drive thingie is coming from CA as I type and should be here soon. My friend said I could even wear it in the shower if I want. I wrote back and asked her if she used Velcro tape to hold it in place and she replied it comes with a long cord. Now really, I don’t think I will be wearing it in the shower. Hallelujah, I am of good cheer, for I just walked to the bathroom down the hall without any pain in my hip or leg. Life is good ~ now I must take it easy this day and still just do my walking so as to let whatever it is going on in there settle down. I must walk.

    I love this weather for it isn’t so ing hot. Spring was Summer now we have Autumn and hopefully will have some Winter ~ but not much snow please ~ but lots of rain would be helpful. That is what I would like for our area but we shall see what it really is when it happens won’t we. Lots of rain where there are those horrendous fires raging would spell disaster for the mud would slide. That is not a pretty sight to see.

    All is well in the area this day. Will is returning the “on call kit” to the center and the dogs are outside lazing in the sun and the cat is asleep on the bed and I am here in my office typing this post. Nothing of the unusual nature ~ so all is well.

    Have a great day Magnolias.