Happy
I was lucky in that I didn't have to drive through any water. Some areas of town did get there share of the rain. I love Cuddle Dud's.

-----
My cable has been out since Wednesday. Guess I should call them but the rabbit ears I bought yesterday are doing fine. The only thing is that I can't get the Jonesboro station but the Memphis stations are really better for my area for weather. And I have the Jonesboro's station app on the phone.
Like Laura I am taking off an extra day to have 3 day week and am looking forward to being off this week. I'm debating on having some me time in a hotel room on Wednesday after a couple of appointments and not having to drive back since I will be in Paragould the rest of the week. Turkey day will be with my uncles and their families.
Need to make a couple of calls phone and make another trip to Walmart.

don't know where my post went! Back later.

Happy Friday everyone. :carrot:

Annie - Okay, I'm taking the plunge with the HDHP/HSA plan. I just have to try to get online. This is the last day and everyone must be trying to get on this site. Enjoy your early Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow!! :thanks1:

Ceejay - I hope your sinus headache is gone - those are horrible. So when you're on jury duty next month, can you be called at any time during the month to go serve jury duty? In my area, we get notices and are told to call a phone number the night before a certain date to see if we need to go to serve jury duty on that date. And then you're done for a certain period of time.

Happy - Our mild weather is at its end now. I wore one of my long down coats today. Snow is forecast. Here we go... Re the HDHP, I know that the HSA account won't be earning me much interest, but at least it won't be a "use it or lose it" situation like the flex spending account. Re cuddle duds...hmmm, can't recall if I have one piece of that brand. Some of mine are from Lands End and are a silky type of fabric. Gosh, my legs are feeling cold today and I kind of wish I had a layer on underneath my pants! That turkey roasting method sounds tasty. We're actually going to try a brined turkey though, so there will be no additional salt involved, but the veggies sound good to me!

Hellos to the rest of you, hope to see you check in soon!
--
Well, I was all sure of going with the HDHP - until I saw that there are two out of pocket maxiumums - one for in-network and one for out-of-network and the out-of-network is double the in-network. Until I find out how that works, I don't know if I'll be doing this. Bf is the type that will not care about in or out as long as he's getting the best care, especially for an ear surgery he will be needing. :dizzy: :faint:

Nothing much else to report. I have a hair appointment tomorrow morning. The rest is the usual, but we also need to get a Thanksgiving menu figured out and then make our shopping list. And of course get going on cleaning. Maybe the crummy forecast is a good thing - won't want to be out and about.

Okay, off to lunch.
=========
Update: Okay, I had all my HDHP/HSA questions answered, confirmed that our providers (incl the ear surgery dr) are all in-network - and any new ones selected will also be in-network. Enrollment's done. Ready for the weekend!

Hello you'all :smug:

I finished my clients dining room yesterday & they said it's lovely & want me to do another room for them after Christmas. I made their valances reversible w a winter theme fabric to a Christmas fabric as they asked for so they wouldn't need as many Christmas knick-knacks setting out in the dining room making it look tacky. They r a family of 4, w 4 different birth months so I had the idea of using their month's flowers as the theme for the stain glass panels for their China cabinet, I haven't done any stained glass projects in over a year so I had fun making them & I used beveled glass panels for the remaining door inserts & the cabinet looks very high-end gorgeous now. The accent wall I did in a green sea-glass color, instead of the usual aqua sea-glass that I used with a textured technique & it compliments the dining room chair seats I upholstered. The homeowners gave me a bonus $ because they said to me their room looks like a magazine photo. I'm happy I finished it on schedule because I'm exhausted & I have the energy of a turtle.

It didn't rain today, but the wind was cold as I grocery shopped for Thanksgiving in a mob of shoppers. When Dh came home from work we drove 40 miles to a Amish grocery store for some extra's. My 1# container of dill weed from 2 yrs ago that I keep in my freezer finally ran out & the spices & seasonings from that Amish grocer are good quality. But I could've fainted when we read the price of the dill weed today, it's now $20 a pound :fr: We'll compare it w other natural food stores & online. Now I know what we'll b planting next summer 'dill weed' & I'll use my food dehydrator for it & mince it.

I'll b back this weekend to catch-up w you'all here & post personals. I'm going to bed early. We talked about going to see the final Hunger Games movie tomorrow for a date night, but I just want to stay home & rest & maybe go see it next weekend.

Hugs :grouphug: & my Love to you'all, Dee

morning
Laura
I have a number to call the night before to see if I report the following morning. Jury duty is for the month of December. Headache is much better.

Dee
Glad the decorating project went well.
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Still need to call the cable company to tell them I've been with out since Wednesday. I will ask for a credit for these day. Doubt they will come out this week end. My rabbit ears are doing well, just miss my other stations. I bought a Roku system but you have to pay for the use of this also and it's mainly movies. I'm going to keep it set up just in case the cable goes out again. I down loaded some apps to have when I go to my uncles to have something to do.
Took a prescription to the pharmacy to have it refilled. And stopped to get gas.
Cleaning house today. It used to take me a day to recoop but now it takes me two days. I will pace myself to get through the day.

Hi Everyone! Remember me? :D

Work week got the better of me. I didn't work a lot of over time this past week (only 5 hours) but when I was at work, I was working intensely. Also with this crazy weather changing from hot, to cold and back and forth, it has kicked up my fibro. When I got home from work I would just collapse for an hour and take a nap, then work for about 1 hr, clean up the kitchen after dinner and go to bed.

I am also feeling very out of sorts when I look around the house. There seems to be so much to whip back in place around the house. I think it is because for the past 4 weekends, I have just done what had to be done to make it livable. But it's really starting to bug me.

I am happy to report that last week at TOPS I had a 1.8 lb loss. This week I stayed the same.

The one thing that I must and want to get back to is using the tread desk at least 3 times per week and I really, really need to get back on my exercise bike.

My knee is hurting again and I'm about to the point when I believe it is time for another gel shot.

Last night DH and I went to see Spectre (the new James Bond movie). I really liked it. The story kept my attention. I don't think that Daniel Craig is all that great looking in his face...he just looks average to me but his body is another thing! He played the part of James Bond very well and was quite dashing.

Today I didn't get much done in the way of housework, as we had my nephew Aiden, birthday party to go to at 11:15 a.m. My brother lives about 45 min away so with the drive, the party time and going back to their house to watch a kids movie, it was 6 when we got home. We ate, cleaned up the kitchen and I'm about to pay bills and then go to bed.

Annie: I'm so sorry that we weren't able to connect. I so really wanted to. When they changed the schedule and our band got pushed back, it really messed it up. Next year, we plan to go again but we are going to drive down the night before the day our band is going to be in the competition and stay all night so there will be another opportunity.

I am praying and crossing my fingers that your pap test comes back clear.

Laura: Good for you for taking those extra days around Thanksgiving.
I did an HSA this year and was really glad I had it when I needed the PT.
I am doing it again for next year. We just did our benefits at work too.

It sounds like you put your Kohls gift cards to good use. I love new sweaters! Especially if they are warm.

Ceejay: Did you get your house work done and things back in tip-top shape?
Did you check about the cable yet and get it fixed.

I'm sorry to hear that the BP is giving you issues. Do you feel badly when they numbers get that high?

Dee: The work you did for that family sounds lovely! Did you go see The Hunger Games? Did you read the books? I did not but I heard they and the movies are really good.

Happy: You will have to let me know what you think of the Cuddle Duds. I've been thinking of trying them.

Michelle: I saw your post on FB about your shoulder. I'm glad things went very well with the surgery. How is it feeling?

Hi to Shad and Terra!

Morning
Things are getting to quiet in here but it is the week end.
I did get some things marked off of my to do list this week end.
It was cold this morning on the way to work at 29 degree's. Wished for seat warmers this morning.
-----
Susie
I understand about things around the house not getting done and making you feel out of sorts. It does me too. And yes I called the cable company Hopefully they will be there tomorrow. I did buy some rabbit ears so I haven't been completely without something to watch. re-blood pressure. I'd been dizzy headed but I had just gotten new glasses so I thought it was the glasses. I had been feeling tired.

Good morning everyone,

Got down to 4 degrees last night. We were in the 50's a week ago so this has been an unwelcome shock to many of us. This is the time of year when DH regrets (just a little) that he started feeding the critters. At least 2 runs outside a day to feed the deer and turkeys. We did see our big buck Chuck the other day - haven't seen him in over a week. He was wary and I'm glad - yesterday deer hunting season (with guns) started for 9 days. They are only SUPPOSED to take bucks but the attitude up here is "only if I get caught". We hope our little flock goes deep in the woods and hides out the season. Deer bow hunting season runs longer. We went out last night and stopped in a restaurant / bar for dinner (which is the majority of our restaurant offerings). There were hunters all about at the bar. They were all complaining that the deer are in hiding. ( :high: go deer! ) also we got just a very light dusting of snow which makes it difficult to track the animals. Soon the newspaper will be filled with smiling fools holding up a dead deer head. :rolleyes:

One of my many errands was stopping at the eye glass place. The guy this time was very nice. I reminded him that he said my glasses were made to the prescription and the doctor says the prescription is correct yet the glasses are blurry. So what am I do do? He said my eyes have gotten used to the stronger cheaters so he was going to regrind my glasses for close up and the computer to the power of my cheaters. He said the benefit of having prescription lens vs the cheaters was that they were made to the curve of my eyes and would also correct for the astigmatism. He is remaking the other glasses with full distance instead of progressive bifocals and is putting in a lined bifocal so that I can wear the glasses for driving and be able to read maps. It's my mid range vision they can't seem to get right and he said my eyes have adjusted to using the close up cheaters for near and mid range. That is probably true. I think after wearing glasses for 48 years, psychologically I think I still need them which is also part of my frustration. I am also going to stick with one pair of close up glasses and one pair of distance because I think switching between a couple of pairs of cheaters is also messing with my eyes. I do long for my youth when the body worked a whole lot better and was less pain !

It got pretty cold in the house when I turn the heat down at night so I had to put a blanket by the door we hope to replace soon as there are small but definitely open gaps of cold air pouring in. I also cover the fireplace when we aren't using it. Even though it has a glass plate in front, the fireplace is all metal and it conducts the cold and chills the air around it. I also pulled the shades completely to the sill at night and put a heavier curtain and valance on the one metal exit door. That's how we "winterize" the house up here :lol: I don't mind the snow or gray - it's the bitter cold I hate. DH asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said a soaker tub. One problem is that both of our full baths - the tub is about 1 inch longer than what would fit in the existing enclosure and no, you can't just make it longer because of support walls and such. :( Also all of our water drains out to the septic system - laundry, sinks, toilets and tubs. A soaker tub holds twice the water of a regular tub and he said that would be putting a lot of water into the septic tank. The septic drains a bit slower in the winter also. So I told him, I guess you need to buy me a hot tub!!!! We tried to figure out where we could put it. Right outside the back door would be great but we don't have enough open electrical to run the line for it. We do IF you want to go out the main door, go down 6 stairs, run across the length of a 3 car garage and head into the tub. We have an open cement pad that has outlets for 220 electric and a drain to the septic system which was for their large camper van hook up. That's an awful long way to run when it's cold outside. Also I said we'd have to build a gazebo or 4 season house around it so that the snow didn't build up on the tub cover. He said you have to have proper ventilation in the "house" or you'll get mold and rot from the steam in the tub. That's why most hot tubs are free standing outside. Would be cheaper to just buy a new house with a spa bath in it! :lol3: The older I get, the more achy I am, the more I'd enjoy a good warm soak although it would probably in reality dry my skin out even more than it already is!

Ceejay- I'm surprised you don't have seat warmers in the Rav4 - I thought they were pretty standard. I know that cars sold in the south don't have the winter driving transmission and tires but I didn't think they'd skip the warmers. Brr. What a pain about the cable tv they want your money fast but they are so shorthanded on repair techs that it easily takes a week for service.

Susie - I wore the Cuddle duds for the first time yesterday underneath a light fleece pullover. I really liked them. I think they did keep me warmer without being overly warm or feeling like I was wearing 8 heavy layers. My only criticism was that during the day I tucked them into my jeans and they held fine. When I got home and changed into my around the house lounging pants, I wore them over the pants and they keep rolling up across my tummy - didn't like that. So I guess you have to plan on wearing them tucked in. Good for you for getting on the tread desk again. I have been doing a lot of sitting entering data on the computer and I believe the constant sitting is aggravating my hip and knee - I was thinking too last night that I need to consciously move more. Glad you see it too. I did hear from others that the latest James Bond movie was good - maybe a bit slow to get off the ground but good. Glad you enjoyed it.

Laura - are you having fun digging out of the snow? I see they got almost a foot of snow up your way. Yikes! Be careful with the cleaning. I guess you are also dealing with the brr sudden onset of cold too. Hope your new boots keep your feet warm. Please let us know how the turkey brine works out. I was skeptical although I have heard a lot of good things about it. I would like to hear from someone I know who actually did it. What sort of container are you going to use to brine the turkey in? Glad all of your doctors are in the network. I think for the most part most of them are although I do know of one case where my sister's doctor got fed up with all the red tape and dropped out of the network so she actually switched carriers to move with him. Pays to check it out ahead of time. Another thing to let us know next year if you feel the high deductible plan saved you money.

Dee - the cabinet re-do sounds gorgeous. I am thinking of doing an accent wall when we repaint but it's tough to think of a color. Will be something we'd both be happy to live with for a long, long time as the wall is 2 stories high and will require a lot of work on DH's new scaffolding to do. I love the idea of using their birth month flowers into the cabinet. VERY creative. I'll bet it looks really pretty. Do you take pictures of your work to show clients? Or curious online friend? ;) ;)

Speaking of scaffolding, DH bought some new stuff and is going to pick it up on Tuesday. He wants to take down the ceiling fan where the bats were, clean under the beam which he thinks is full of bat doo doo, check the upper trapezoid windows for air leaks, clean the windows and do some wall repairs from cracks resulting from the house settling. I don't know how speedy he is going to be with this and although I am not in the mood to do any major Christmas decorating, I can't help but wonder how long this scaffolding will be up in the main part of my house. Maybe I should plan on decorating the scaffolding?? He did clear out the area up on the loft where his computer was. It's an open space and would probably work quite nicely for the Christmas tree - I spend a good amount of time up here anyway. The only issue is dragging all the Christmas decorations up 2 flights of stairs (28 in all) numerous times from the basement to the loft area. :faint: With a very painful knee :headache: I would love a real tree for the smell but the warmest part of the house is the loft area (heat rises) and you want it on the cool side for the tree and lights. Also I always feel terrible killing a perfectly good tree for a 4 week decoration. But then again, as my friend would say - they already killed the trees sitting at the store - if you buy one and decorate it, then it didn't die in vain. :angel: Too many decisions in my life lately :lol:

Annie - I see the snowstorm was centered off of your area. Did you get walloped with snow too? I'll bet Sassy isn't happy to see the white stuff. That is a gorgeous picture of you and the grandkids. Did you have that taken professionally? A and R resemble each other a lot. Looks like J might favor Mom a lot? It REALLY is a nice photo and you look happy as can be too and a good looking Nana. Glad you had a nice dinner with your brother. Isn't sitting and laughing with good people the best? Now you have me jonesing for some stroganoff :lol:

I still have to plan our Thanksgiving Dinner. I am really leaning towards turkey which we have not had in a long time and saving the prime rib roast for Christmas. I will have to see how much DH was hoping for beef. :^: I saw a bunch of old bread on the counter which made me quite happy - now I can make my Mom's stuffing. I love it and generally only have it once a year since DH won't go near the stuff. :lol:

Anyway hellos to the rest of you. Have a good Sunday everyone.

Woke up to a slight dusting of snow this morning. I wore tights under my dress with my boots to church and my long winter dress coat.

I finally found a pair of knee high boots I could get on with my calves! I got them at Lane Bryant and I love them. They aren't completely flat, have a little bit of a heel but not a dress heel.

I still have a nice pair of higher heeled dress boots but I don't wear them often as they kill my left knee.

I took a nap today and I worked for 1 hour on the work budget. I'm finishing cleaning the house and planning on reading after dinner (DH is making it right now). I started a new book by Debbie Macomber; it is the second (I think) in her Rose Harbor series. I love how she writes her books around a certain town with story lines that weave among the people in the books. With each new book in the series she introduces a new person and sometimes other new series spin off of those.

Happy: I was :rofl: when you wrote about the newspapers being full of people holding up dead deer heads...we have that in our papers too and every time I think "who really wants to see that?"

Thanks for the information on the cuddle duds. I think I'm going to ask for a couple for Christmas and try them out. I do ok with winter under I get cold in my warmest winter coat...in Ohio that is around end of Jan through March. Once that happens I'm really just DONE with the cold weather, so maybe those will help me during that time.

Also, I found the information on the reading glasses very interesting. We were able to purchase vision insurance for the 2016 benefits year and I signed up for it. I am planning on seeing if I can get a pair of glasses for the computer and reading and not us cheaters. I see fine distance wise but up close and on the computer, it is only getting worse in that area.

Ceejay: One of our cars has the heated seats and I love them! We drive that car a lot more in the winter than the other one.

Hello to everyone else.

Time to get this house work finished, only have about another 30 minutes of work.

Evening all.* Was lazing around with the newspapers this morning, but got my laundry sorted and a load done earlier. I'll probably do another one in a bit.

Dee - I'm* sure having happy clients is very satisfying for you (beyond the financial rewards* ).* It sounds lovely - I really like that sea glass color.* I agree, there are a lot of great holiday knick knacks out there, but only so many spots to display them...good to get that holiday feeling in other decorative ways without the house looking like a retail shop!* --- So are you all set for turkey day?* Will you host your sons & the grandkids?* Should be a lively time.* Did you get out to see the new hunger games movie?* My bf is a fan of those movies & he'll probably go see it this week.

Susie - Sorry the fibromyalgia is sapping your energy.* The housework will still be there - get your rest when your body needs it!* Congrats on the loss at TOPS. I hope you can get in soin to get the shot for your knee!* Glad you liked the latest Bond movie.* Daniel Craig is easy in the eyes, but I agree he's not what I'd consider handsome.*

Ceejay - I hope your cable gets fixed soon!* It's been long enough.* Seat - warmers were a must-have in the two cars we have.* One of my favorite (non-safety ) features after heat and AC, lol.

Happy - Brrr, that's cold, but we got down to 11 last night.* We got whalloped yesterday - 11.2 inches at O'Hare, not far from us.* I think I'd be depressed if we didn't have milder temps in the forecast for this week...I got out and did the shoveling - good exercise.* But I did what I consider the minimum* - path to house & garage, one shovel-width*path for the front sidewalk and two tire paths for the driveway.** Tomorrow we'll* get temps in the high 30's - let the melting begin! ---The idea of a soaker tub sounds great.* No jets necessary for me.* A hot tub sounds good too, but I sure don't see myself running outside to use it in the winter!!---LOL re decorating the scaffolding!* :rofl:* Oh, we bought a kosher turkey, which has already gone through a brining process of some sort.* From Trader Joe's.* I'll let you know what we thought of it.

==
Had my hair appointment yesterday morning before the snow got bad.* Back at home I made some lentil soup.* Then the shoveling after the snow stopped, then a dog walk.* Got my 10,000 steps in, that's for sure.

I'd intended to get a jump on cleaning house this weekend, but nope.* I did get the living room dusted though - including the blinds.* Then bf and I watched the rest of the Bears game.* Then I walked doggy, after which we went out for a bite to eat & stopped at the market for some groceries on the way home.

We're in a real spot with the flex spending account.* It was bad enough when we had an $800 balance to use up.* But* in the midst of researching the HDHP/HSA stuff, I finally realized I shouldn't have had to pay anything for my colonoscopy in July (covered at 100% for preventive/wellness).* So the claim will be redone* & I will have $300 coming back to me & into the fsa.* Sigh.* Bf said he will try to get scheduled for a procedure to remove some nasal polyps.* Whenever he gets a cold they really bother him. He's been procrastinating on this forever. * Otherwise, we may have to buy a bunch of contact lenses for ourselves and lose some of that money.* Grrr.* I made my podiatrist appointment for mid-December.* I could go forward with that nerve test that tells me if I have the beginnings of carpal tunnel.* And ladies,* what type of physical complaints should I supposedly suffer to have a chiropractor recommend some nice massage-like treatments on me??? :D.** Any other ideas you have to help me use up this $$ would be appreciated.*

Okay, gonna copy & paste this & get it posted.* TTFN.

Ha, I typed my post in Evernote & now I have a bunch of *'s. Oh well...:shrug:

ok, so I am trying to get this page to load and the bottom part that would allow you to post does not show up. I had to refresh the screen 3 times. :rolleyes:

Laura - found this ...

You can put up to $2,550 into an FSA each year. You generally must use that money within the plan year. But your employer may offer one of 2 options:

•It can provide a "grace period" of up to 2 ½ extra months to use the money in your FSA.


•It can allow you to carry over up to $500 per year to use in the following year.


Your employer can offer either one of these options but not both. It’s not required to offer either one.

Might be worth asking about. I got caught one year and had to lose almost $500 in money. I had underestimated that come November that everyone is trying to use up those health care dollars and I was not able to get into the dentist in time to get a crown replaced in that calendar year. You are on about the contacts BUT there are rules against stockpiling so it looks like there are limitation of 3 items for certain things. You can also consider lens solution as an FSA item. Prescription Glasses - maybe new sun glasses if you are desperate. If you get your doctor to officially declare you as obese (oh what fun THAT is) you can sometimes claim your gym membership or dues to Weight Watchers. You can create a first aid kit for home and expense those items against FSA. Reading glasses, wrist supports, birth control, heating pads, vaccinations. Did you go through your prescription claims for this year and get reimbursed? Good luck - sometimes this is really tedious.

Another cold one at 34 degrees this morning.
Waiting for the chemical truck to arrive.
Talked to my sister in Missouri last night. She was wanting to know the treatment for my blood pressure.
Yesterday was a boring day at work. Had one small power outage and another person called about the cover on her water meter being off and if her German Shepard stepped in it and hurt it's legs the city would pay for the Vet bill. We do have a lot of customer complaints.
Turned my space heater on this morning to take out the chill and can't remember whether or not I turn it off. There's no way they will let me off for this.
-------
Happy
I've been having trouble seeing the post after I choose the post quick reply button. I'm almost glad that I don't have the HSA now. That's to complicated for me.

Morning all. Sunny out there and soon to be above freezing. All we need is for the snow to start melting. :sunny:

Happy – Thanks for all the suggestions! I will definitely ask my company benefits group about the FSA options. I always thought we had a “grace period” to get the documents submitted to the FSA people, but the spending would have to be done by 12/31. Maybe I’m wrong and the spending can happen during the grace period. Best to get that clarified for myself. The idea of prescription sunglasses crossed my mind, especially since I’ve been wearing my eyeglasses more and contacts less lately. LOL re the stockpiling – dang, that spoils my plan of buying a bunch of blood pressure monitors to sell at the flea market, hahaha. The admin and I were joking about that last week. My prescription meds are up to date and have all gone through the FSA account. I have one payment that I recall - for contact lenses - that I didn’t pay through the FSA, but that’s about it. But I really need to go through my receipts to see what else there might be. There was probably never a benefits year in the recent past where at some point the FSA got goofed up and the card would get suspended, or they’d threaten suspension, because a receipt wasn’t submitted, or whatever. So there’d be a time when we couldn’t use the FSA debit card to pay for something and we'd pay out of pocket and the expense would have to be manually submitted to the FSA later on for reimbursement. I’m happy to not have to deal with that kind of stuff when the 2016 benefit year starts!

Ceejay – Gosh, I hope you turned off the space heater! Otherwise, I hope there’s nothing too close to it that’s flammable. It’s too bad you couldn’t just run back home to check. Do you work close to home? You’d think if it was less than an hour, they could spare you for that.

Hellos to the rest of you. Oh, Annie , great photo of you and the grandkids!
--
Well, it seems I lost my fitbit sometime this morning. I know I took it off this morning to shower, and then I put it back on. After that…dunno. I noticed it wasn’t on my wrist when I was putting my coat on before getting off the train downtown. I looked around my seat, but didn’t see it. According to my fitbit app, it said it last synced at 7:08, while I was still at home. I think it would certainly have synced after that if it was still on my wrist during my commute (i.e., close to my smartphone). I’ll have to phone bf and have him take a look around.

Nothing much else to report. Bf made a couple batches of jerky this weekend. Along with the food dehydrator, he’d bought a kit with a calk-gun type thingy for forming strips or sticks, some flavoring spices, and some curing powder, which he said was like salt. He used ground beef and made jerky strips, one was plain (?) and one was cracked pepper and garlic flavor. They turned out good, but are salty, like jerky can be. I thought he’d be using whole cuts of meat, not ground, so I suppose I learned something… I’ll have to read through the user manual and maybe do some online research to learn more. I think I’m going to make doggy some plain old dried sweet potato slices for treats. We have a mandolin, so I can slice the potato thinly and evenly.

That’s about it for me. Have a great day everyone.
:coffee2:
:turkey: :turkey: :turkey:

Good afternoon-eve-night-morning....lol all

Had a wonderful TG on Saturday with the fam. It was peaceful and pleasant. All the food turned out great, except I cut my thumb rather badly while pealing potatos and forgot about the rolls in the oven and they were burnt. Thankfully I am married to the bread man and had spare rolls. lol

Sunday was a lazy day, no church, didn't even get dressed until noon. Ran to the bank machine to deposit some $$, stopped at the store to get a lighter to light my new candle and home again. Made turkey manhattens for dinner, Michael stopped and ate with us.

Now here we are at work. Only a 3 day week so today is my Wednesday. Yeah. Sis is going to color my hair after work today. That will be relaxing plus I will get to visit with the babes. Thanks for the complements on the pix with the g-babes. I like it a lot. THat was taken about two weeks after my heart attack. Rallied pretty well I think.

LAURA...hope you get the health insurance figured out. It is all such a farce anyway. I heard United Health is pulling out of the Obamacare plan. That in itself is scary, especially for those that chose to go with United. Hope you find your fitbit, those things are not cheap. I am over it now and could care less when I forget to wear it. I only use it for my steps at the moment, but tomorrow I go to my first cardiac rehab so that might be interesting to wear it then. Altho tomorrow is orientation only.

CEEG...it is mighty cold here too! I think we all got hit with the cold weather one way or another. BOring at work makes for very long days. bleh.

HAPPY...poor deer don't have a chance here. Seems everyone is posting pix of deer heads over the weekend here. Everyone but my son, he hasn't got one yet. lol. He is too soft hearted. He keeps telling me he has spotted several, but thought they were too young to shoot, or skinny or this or that. Too funny that boy. Glasses are just a plain pain to get right. I just finally gave up on mine. I did do the turkey like you suggested, it was VERY tasty and juicy and had many compliments on it. Thanks for the recipe.

SUSIE...your job is too stressful for me. I think I would lose my cool and just quit trying so hard. Speaking of Debbie MaComber books, do you watch the series on TV with Andie McDowell that is based on one of her books? Cedar Cove I believe it is called. I used to watch it religiously but now just catch it every now and then. I forget it is on. CONGRATS on the WL. Good job!! Sorry we missed each other when you were through here. I just cannot stay up late anymore. I get so tired so easily. I am beginning to think it is more the meds than anything. I have a list of questions going for the doc on Dec 4th check up.

DEE....the work on the dining room sounds so lovely. I have one piece of stained glass a friend of mine made me. Used to fit my window of my old house, now I just have it displayed. It was a peep window in the front door shaped like a stop sign, about 8" across, point to point.

Hello to the rest of you. TERRA must of dropped off as she has not posted since 11/5. Hope she is ok.

Hello to CHELLE, hope you are feeling better with that shoulder and gaining strength rapidly.

Hi SHADDIE, Only 4 weeks till Christmas.

Love and hugs all.

Hi Annie. Happy "Wednesday" to you, I'm taking a vacation day on Wed., so today is my Thursday. :) Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving. Now you have a lovely stress-free 4-day weekend coming up. :) --- Wow, must be a really nice candle to warrant its own lighter, hehe.

Bf phoned me a short time ago to tell me he hadn't found the fitbit. I had him check the sleeve of the jacket I wore out in the yard with doggy this morning and 'lo and behold - there it was. :) :) That's nice because it was a Christmas gift and I'd hate to be asked about it and have to say I lost it. I've finally gotten into the habit of wearing it all the time now, so it helps a bit with motivation to get my steps. If it wasn't found, I'd have just gone back to my pedometer.

BTW, I've gone back to tracking my eating on my fitness pal and I see Terra tracking on there (we became buddies on there a while back).

Hi Everyone. I was so glad to get off work today. I'm covering for 3 other Admin's plus my work and of course EVERYONE had a issue or two or 3 today.

DH has a meeting tonight at 7-8 and so I'm going to work for that hour and get 2 things that I really wanted to get done today but that is as long as I am working.

I am here to check in and keep my mind on my weight loss efforts..it's not easy for me when I am alone in the house with food. I am a "sneak eater".

Annie: what do they say to do in AA when you are alone and think "I can have one and no one will know?"

I'm curious about your appointment tomorrow and what they tell you exercise wise what they want you to do.

I don't watch that series but I have read all the books. Did you watch the New Hallmark movie last night at 9 p.m? I did and I really enjoyed it. DH watched it with me and when they showed all the new ones coming on in the next few Sunday's, I heard him sigh! :D

Laura: What a PITA with the FSA! I hope you come up with a way to spend that money, you sure don't want to lose it. You were talking about chiropractic massages. I know that some chiropractors have someone in their office that does them right there, so maybe call and see about that.

I also think a pair of prescription sunglasses sounds like a good way to spend some of that money. I never thought about that. Happy--you have a handle on this FSA stuff!

I am glad that you found your fit bit. I lost mine once and it drove me crazy!

I'm wondering if Terra is having a hard time getting to the forum and finding the page? I know when I sign on to the site, the 3FC comes up and I click on Support Forums but it doesn't take me to anything unless I click on one of the ones they have off to the side and then it takes me to that one but I can maneuver backwards to find our thread.

Ceejay: Was your heater off? I sure hope so. I'm a bit ticked off that they wouldn't let you leave for that. I mean, you work long shifts for them when needed and come in when you should be off. I would have told them I had an emergency at home and needed to check on it and I would take it off my lunch time.

Time to get to work so I can be done when DH gets home and relax with him a bit.

See you all tomorrow!

My heater was off last night when I got home. I need to start unplugging it to make sure.
I'm taking tomorrow off and I've scheduled a doctor's appointment for a wellness check and rx's. I'm switching back to my doctor in Jonesboro.
The boss called me yesterday to call the other operators and tell them we are having steak and potato's tomorrow for lunch. He said last year he ate turkey and dressing for 5 days so he wanted something different. :lol:
----
Susie
I could have sent one of the guys to the house to check on it for me, but once I'm here I'm here for the 12 hours. Good for you in taking off work.

Laura
Glad the Fitbit was found. I'm so used to wearing mine that I feel lost without it. I have the Zip. I need to start tracking my food again too. I use the Fitbit app to do that. You have snow!

Annie
Glad you had a good thanksgiving meal together with family. Something to be thankful for.

morning all,

I have to go to the shelter shortly for another training session and then over to the thrift shop for my afternoon shift so I'll have to try and get back here later to post. Hope all is well with everyone.

Well Bullship I lost my post.

Cardiac Rehab was orientation only. Short class about nutrition, how the heart works, exercise, paper work, a tour of the facility-which was very nice and clean, then an EKG, blood pressure taken 6 times, lying down in both arms, standing in both arms, sitting in both arms, highest was 130/74 lowest was 112/70, all was good. No exercise today. Next Monday is getting familiar with the equipment and exercising then my appts are M-W-F at 4pm. Each session cost $250.00, thank the good Lord I have met my deductible. She said since there was no damage to my heart and I am doing so well, that likely I will be on maintenance by the new year and it is only $35.00 a month. The 250. a session is because you are hooked up and monitored every time, maintenance you are not monitored. It is just considered like a fitness facility. They do have a men/women's locker rooms with showers. My goal is to lose 20 more lbs. Even tho I weigh less than I have in a few years, I would like to lose another 20 to go with this 30 I have already lost. My waist measured 39 inches, yikes....

I will come back for personals, I need to get busy, didn't get into work till 11:00. Yeee, and lots to do, tomorrow yucky Wednesday.

Hugs

Morning all. The admin is out this week and I'm doing something she usually does, only much less quickly and efficiently than she does it because I rarely do it. And of course there's a complication to deal with. Bleh.

Susie - I hope things are calmer for you at work today!! I know what you mean about "sneak eating". I'm also not to be trusted when I go grocery shopping by myself - I come home with all kinds of junk! Yeh, the FSA is a PITA. I checked our benefits site for the deadlines and any grace periods, and of course there's nothing there about it. So now I have an e-mail in to HR about this.

Ceejay - I'm glad the heater was off when you got home, and I'm sure your electric bill will thank you too, haha. I agree about unplugging the heater - that's the sure way to know. Re the fitbit - I've been wearing it 24/7 lately, even to bed, which is silly because I don't track my sleep. It's just easier to keep it on. Wow, enjoy the steak and potato lunch! :hun:

Happy - Have a good day with the shelter/shop stuff

Annie - Wow, that's a lot of monitoring - and every time!!! Well, at least they'll know if something's not what it should be. :yes: And thank goodness you met your deductible!!!

Hellos to the rest of you!!

--
Nothing much to report. Went to the last Pilates class of the session last night. The new park district catalog still hasn't been delivered in the mail - this week they say. Someone new is doing this job and the timing is different as well....Anyway, I learned I can go online to register for classes now if I want. As usual, the punchcard/passports are purchased in person. I'm gonna take a look at the catalog online during lunch.

Today's my last day in the office, and I don't return until next Tuesday. We still need some stuff for Thanksgiving dinner, so we'll probably go shopping tonight. Tomorrow will be cleaning and food prep.

That's it for me. :wave:

Morning all,
Figured I might come in early today and say hello to you all while no-one else (apart from the cleaning lady and her noisy vacuum cleaner) around. Things get hectic here during the day. People coming for miles asking questions that I have to figure out and then there is the daily running battle of stock adjustments. Some get it that they have to keep an eye on the stock, many don't and some just don't care. If I leave a lasting legacy, it will be that they feel guilty if they haven't cleared their supermarket stocks and/or checked the W.I.P. stocks. Such is the power of my broomstick.

Last weekend I flew to Wellington. My brother, niece and her painful other half, plus my great nieces were over for a holiday and they were due to be in Wellington for a couple of days before flying back to Brisbane. We all went out to dinner on Saturday night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I stayed with Chris (from Japan days) and she is holding up okay despite all the varying ailments that plague her. She still manages to work both teaching in the classroom and doing lessons for Correspondence school. Then I flew home Sunday night and back here on Monday. According to the roster, I should only be working 8.00 to 4.30 but if that happened - apart from the skies falling in - there would again be a huge backlog of work and I would get stressed out as I was on Friday. Boy was I pleased to get out of here on Friday.

I don't think I can do personals right now. Pleased to see that most of you are doing okay and in varying stages of wellness. I'd better get on and have a look at the e-mails - which if recent weeks are anything to go by I will have another inbox full from the afternoon and night shifts.

Catch you all later

Good Morning all.

Happy Wednesday and day before Thanksgiving. Wow do I have plenty of thing which to be thankful. Amen!! Especially you sweet ladies.

Today will be a very busy day here at work. Then off for 4 days. Yeah! I worked until 6 last night in hopes that I could get out of here at a decent time today. For some reason I could not go to sleep last night, it was after 12 before I slept. Weird. First time in two months. We had Taco Bell for dinner as that is what I picked up on the way home. Probably too much salt however I didn't finish what I ordered, didn't taste right to me.

SHADDIE...I will be glad when you are finally home cause woman, you are wearing me out.

LAURA...Wow you get 5 days off of work, lucky dog, enjoy your time off even if you only just laz around.

SUSIE...when you are struggling with something, the biggest suggestion I have received from AA is to say the serenity prayer, over and over if that is what it takes to get past whatever is bothering you. It works for me. Also, AA says to get out of yourself. In other words, think of other people, help other people, pray for other people. Steer yourself away from you. I didn't get to watch the 9pm Sunday Hallmark movie as I go to bed by then on work nights. I am an old codger now. lol.

HAPPY...did you survive the training yesterday. Anyone participate, more than that, did they grasp how to do it?

HAPPY TURKEY DAY TOMORROW TO ALL...make it a great day/night!

Love and Hugs.

Morning all,
Another early start, to get the important things done before the hoardes arrive. Night shift is always quiet and they aren't about to bother me (as they haven't worked out that I am here yet).

Annie - you are listening to your body which is a good sign. I'm sorry if I wear you out, but you ought to be glad you aren't on the inside of my brain when I go home at night. It's a terrible place to be that is for sure.

I am so ready for home. I've sorted and paid for the kids airfares to Brisbane. They arrive 20th December. I now have to sort mine home for the 18th December and after that it will be all go, getting the incumbent kids out for their cruise and the change of beds, get the cot mattress for little Missy to sleep on, clean the house, try to get the gardens under control and get into the cat's good books again.
And the weather will be HOT. Not like here where for some reason rain in the North is almost continuous. You get starry nights and mild temps and then the rain comes at dawn. No wonder everything looks green and luscious.

The accountant sent me a message the other day. She is working on my tax stuff. Sometimes I wonder if she is working for me or the ATO. But anyway, she's gone to Thailand to see her son married off. He is not marrying a Thai, just that they liked the place so everyone had to payout to get there if they wanted to go to the wedding. Not sure of this fashion - let's get married on the beach in Hawaii or Thailand, or the Caribbean or on the wharf at Sydney with the opera house in the background. Not that I am bound to a church wedding. Just seems to me that there is a big expense for the loved ones to get to the wedding and accommodate themselves. Still I am old - what do I know.

Okay, better go check out the unlovely inbox and see what horrors await the rest of the day.

Hi girls :smug:
I finished picking up the last of our Thanksgiving feast foods @ noon. It's scary to think about the calories I'll eat tomorrow. Thank you for your kind words about my recent Interior Design job.

:woohoo: to everyone that has the week off. This is Dh's last work day & he's very happy too. I remember when I was in my 20's & 30's & I had retail jobs that I worked all except on Christmas day, it's a nice reminder to me to give gifts to the ppl that work retail w small gifts when I shop @ their stores. When I see the purse size Avon hand lotions on sale during the fall, I buy those & put them inside the mini organza bags from Amazon that are about 100/$5 & have them inside my purse to give just before Christmas. The ppl that regularly help us I give gift cards w a food gift also; some ppl that compliment what I do, I'll give their gift from my handcrafted products they've admired or a discount on my services. Do you give gift cards, cash, gifts to ppl that are helpful to you, or donate to charities?

I just finished peeling my russet potatoes & sweet potatoes to alternate the layers for my scalloped potatoes, they're a big hit w everyone especially the g-babes; also my broccoli/cauliflower/cheese/crouton casserole that I let the g-babes make themselves :chef: Oh, I cheat when I peel my taters because I put them on a spindle peeler & crank the skins off & then remove the eyes & drop them in my food processor to slice, Bam they're done.

I have desserts to go start making for tomorrow now, no time for personals right now.

With Hugs & Blessings for a Wonderful Thanksgiving week for You & Your Family :hug: Dee

:happ3: :turkey: :thanks2: :thanks1:

Quick hello to all of you. Had the day off and made the desserts for tomorrow - apple pie & a jello mold my family refers to as "green slime", lol.

Took doggy for a walk by the park so I could drop the apple peels & cores for the squirrels & other critters. If I did that in our backyard doggy would go after them - or it would draw critters I don't want around.

Just had dinner, or late lunch since we skipped that. Off to the library & to see the village Christmas tree next door - lighting was today.

Toodles for now.

Hi all,

Haven't been coming in here because this site is SO SLOW to respond. And it is just this site and one other that I am having trouble with.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. It's just me and DH and the cats. I kind of wish we had more of a celebration with family - while my sister would revel in a quiet holiday - after 15 years I'm sort of tired of it. But then again, I'm not really up for alot of fussing either and I'm not really into all that much eating like I used to so I guess I just don't know what I want :dizzy: I am tired of being too busy lately and would actually relish a week of quiet where I could relax and just chill out. And maybe get a few of my own things done.

Doing the traditional turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and veg thing. I am going to attempt to make a pecan pie using the Georgia pecans I got and froze earlier this year. I probably should have started prepping tonight but I think I will be on schedule for an early afternoon dinner. I think I have some cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit for a nicer breakfast to tide us over. I do miss the double oven I used to have in Memphis. That was a great kitchen.

Anyway...

Laura - ha ha on the "green slime" dessert - I'll bet it's a favorite that everyone expects you to bring each year. Is there much decorating on State Street anymore or do you have to head north on Michigan Ave for that? I saw all the fuss going on downtown about the protests. That's rather scary - good thing you are off for a few days.

Dee - that's very kind of you to remember the folks you come in contact with during the year. I'm sure they appreciate the thought. And the lotion!

Shad - sounds as if you will be on the run over the holidays - just enough time to get home, get everything arranged, meet and greet everyone and then scurry back to regular life again. Hope you get some time to stop and actually enjoy things. I was surprised to see that Chris is working again - I thought her illness forced her into retirement or does she need the insurance?

Annie - surprisingly the people at the shelter seem to be accepting and willing to work with the software. I think they see the ultimate value in it and I have encouraged them to just try to put one or two animals in a day to learn and they are doing that. Thanks for asking. I am sad that you go to bed and miss the Hallmark Channel's holiday showings. I know how much you liked them and we sort of appointed you unofficially to keep the tv on for Mel. ;) I hope the blip of insomnia was just that - a blip and you are sleeping again. Since you had your family meal last weekend, will it just be a quiet time with you and DH? Hope you can kick back and relax. Or shop online for the kiddos. Yikes that cardiac rehab is pricey. I hope you can transition to the less expensive one quickly.

Ceejay - I hate when you go away and try and remember if you left the iron, or heater or curling iron on. :dizzy: Glad it was unplugged. Hope you have decent weather for your Thankgiving travels. Enjoy the time with the family.

Susie - I used to do the FSA every year and had to figure out for both me and DH what to allocate and how to use it. Was always a guessing game so I got pretty good at figuring out come the end of the year how to use up all my dollars. Now I just try to figure out how to squeeze a surgery in each year so that I can justify / get my money's worth out of the ridiculous amount of money I toss over to the insurance companies for little in return. DH is actually dropping his prescription drug plan next year. I just hope he doesn't get put on some pricey medications. :crossed: To you question to Annie about thinking when you want something you should not have - I like the phrase "one is too many and a thousand is never enough". I apply that to cigarettes - if I fall off the wagon into a sea of my addictions, one is enough to knock me overboard and there is never enough to satisfy me to stop. I am starting to feel the same way about my buddy Coca Cola. ;) I think the key is to distance yourself from temptations so you lose your taste for them and then sometimes it's just old fashioned will power and head talks that keeps you on the straight and narrow path of righteousness ;)

Hello to Terra and Michelle. :wave:

Hope you all have a happy day tomorrow - even if you are not celebrating. I am grateful for all of you and you continued support. Good night for now and good luck if you are some of those adventurous Black Friday shoppers.

Hello Friends and Happy Thanksgiving! :thanks1::happ3::thanks2::turkey:

I think back to the first Thanksgiving and how it was the pilgrims and the Indians. People from different places, sitting down together to eat and give thanks. Sort of like all of us! We come from many places, and help each other to eat healthy and be happy and thankful for each day.

We support each other in good and bad times, just like they did during that first year. I am thankful for all of you!

We will be with our friends the Jarrell's today. We each make parts of the meal and go to their house and have the dinner around 1. Then we watch movies, nap, talk, and get the food out again for dinner. It is a truly relaxing day.

I will come back and post personals later. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is on and DH is yelling from the living room that I need to come watch. :D

Susie
I'm watching the Thanksgiving day parade too.

Annie
I think we all have something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving day.

Shad
Glad you are getting a chance to go home and spend some time with the family. You have deserved it.

Happy
Sometimes life gets in the way. We have to set our selves priorities and go from there. I'm realizing that more and more each day.

Laura
Good for you in recycling the peelings and feed the critters at the same time.

Dee
Happy Thanksgiving.

--------
Went to Jonesboro to the doctor yesterday and got back into town in time to eat lunch with the water department. That rib eye was done to perfection except I could not eat the whole 12 ounces. I'm upset with the weight I've gained. So I'm going to have to start logging my food. And had my rx's refilled. This doctor gives my rx's for three months.
My bff text last night to tell me that there is apartments being vacated. It's just not time for this yet.
My co-worker told me yesterday that she has 100 hours of vacation time left so she is going to have to take at least 24 hours or she will lose them. I have 2 days planned in December with a doctor's appointment and possible jury duty. I will have to talk to the boss about this situation.
We are supposed to get 4 to 7 more inches of rain this week end so I'm not going to spend the whole week end in Paragould. In fact I may need to come back today. I want to talk to an insurance rep if possible tomorrow. Yesterday I noticed that all the small rivers/creeks/lakes are to the rim and some of the fields are still holding water. It will not take much for us to have a flash flood. It's getting the time of year where I'm going to have to curtail my comings and goings I saw another mouse last night and I know now where they are coming in. Traps have been set.

Morning all,
Vacated the motel room this morning. I am going to go North for the weekend to see sights that I have had on the bucket list for a long time but never quite got there.
I'm hoping to get to Paihia - sort of first settlement of the white fella in NZ and across the harbour from there is Waitangi which is where the Tiriti o Waitangi was signed (Treaty of Waitangi) between the Maori (indigenous population) and the British Crown making us a part of the British Empire - later to become the Commonwealth of Nations. You lot refused to take part and had the Boston Tea Party instead.
From there I will go to see Tane Mahuta. (more or less Lord of the Forest). Tane is a Kauri tree and is estimated at around 2300 years old. There are some other big blokes around as well. Look him up for further information.

I'm hoping to do a couple of day trips in the Bay of Islands - but we shall see. I'm not going to push it, just do as much as I can without busting a gut.

Okay - Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends. I give thanks for all of you even if I am not physically there and we don't have Thanksgiving down here. The Pilgrims and the Indians (sorry - Native Americans) were not a bad lot of people to have as ancestors mostly. You could sure use some of that grit and determination these days.
Enjoy your day - give thanks for what you have, don't eat more than you need and get out to enjoy the fresh air and scenery.

Food all sounds delicious - specially Laura's slime jelly and Dee's potatoes along with Happy's stuffing which sounds divine.

Two more weeks in the motel, plus 10 days in the beachfront apartment, and I am done. So looking forward to going home and getting into the garden and the house and enjoying little miss S for 6 days before I send her home with her Mum and Dad and get Chris to visit.

Happy - Talking about Chris, with all her various ailments and problems which seem to develop reasonably frequently, she is too stubborn to just give in. She says she can only do so much at home and she needs the extra money because her homestay fee and pension won't give her the luxuries she likes to have. Currently she has the Churg-Strauss, which appears to be in remission although she is still taking medication to keep it that way. She has Osteoporosis because of the steroids, she has a form of asthma and an arrhythmic heart, and her tendons are starting to disintegrate - probably because of one or more of the drugs. She has definitely shrunk in height (used to be taller than me) so I am presuming the tendon thing is also in the spinal discs and has difficulty walking for any length of time.
Apart from all of that, she eats well and the brain functions as well as it ever did so she works.

Okay, better go sort out the 38 Urgent emails in my inbox. If I am not in over the weekend, I will be back Monday and hopefully with some photos

Better late than never. I hope everyone had a wonderful day today.

:thanks1:

I slept for 3 hours when I got back home. Exhausted.
Had a good day on Thanksgiving day. Visited the cousins that were there. I tried not to eat to much and I had no dessert until I got back to my uncles. Also did my version of step aerobics for 20 minutes before when I retired to my room. Got in my mile.
We didn't get up early to go black Friday shopping but my aunt wanted to go to her favorite department store to shop. I bought 3 fleece tops at buy on get two free. I thought the store would be swamped with shoppers but it was like a typical shopping day. I was glad.
Rain has moved in and as predicted a 5 to 7 inches worth before Sunday.
The wind is from the South at the moment but will be turning out of the North and this stuff is supposed to turn into snow. I'm not ready for this.
This place is quiet but family time is more important. Both of my siblings have sent pictures via text which makes me happy.

Hello girls, it feels like a lazy Sunday to me instead of Friday, after having our family here for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday & watching football together. The Detroit Lions stomped all over the poor Philadelphia Eagles, we needed another win. Today the weather was rainy & cold so Dh & I watched more football, movies & grazed on yesterdays leftover feast. I did some cyber shopping because Dh didn't want to face any mobs.

Shad... It's soo wonderful to hear from you :hug: I wish that I could be with you sightseeing someday :cool: If I ever won the lottery I'd take all of us here on a plane to come visit you in your beautiful country. And of course I'd ask you to cook one of your delicious :p meals that you 'Used to show us pics of', hint-hint. I'm sorry to hear Chris is in bad health, is she your sister?

Susie... It's comforting to have close friends to be with during the holidays like you have. I'm also Thankful for Each person here. You each are Dear friends that I look forwards to sharing time with here & I do hope that some day we can all meet; share our smiles, some hugs, lots of giggles & make some amazing memories.

Ceej... A long nap used to be called 'beauty sleep' ;) Now that I'm older, it's my well needed Siesta :smug: Wow, that's soo awesome that you exercised in your bedroom while visiting, now I really feel lazy :yawn: Great going w your shopping trip buying 1 top & getting 2 free! I really hope the snow misses your town & your temps warm-up. That's sweet that your family sent you photos today.

Michelle... I hope your recovery is going well & that your BF & your step-mom have been taking good care of you :hug:

Laura... I used to make a dessert that a silly friend nick-named 'pink panther poo' because it was a dessert w raspberries & black cherries making the whipped cream pink & the fruit & nuts & the crushed chocolate candy bar. But it was delicious & the large bowl always emptied.

Terra... You are missed, come back when you can.

Happy... I hope that you are getting a well deserved rest this weekend :smug: The Animal Shelter in Midland advertised on TV a Black Friday special; doggies $50 adoption fee & free cats/kittens no limits. I hope that worked & that many pets received homes today.

Annie... Did you get any Christmas shopping :tape: started during your relaxing week? Yes, I know I just said the no-no words....

Dh went to bed early @ 9pm & just woke up & told me again to come to bed.

Sweet Dreams girls, I hope you'all enjoy your weekend. :candy:

Good morning all,

Are we becoming a dying thread here? :( People are posting less and less. I know I have not been the best myself. Will do better.

We had a nice quiet Thanksgiving. DH helped prepare parts of the dinner and he said everything really came out tasting great. I tried a new recipe from the Food Network magazine for stuffing that he picked out and he said it was the best stuffing he ever had! Similar to what my Mom makes but was a bit drier. I make my Mom's recipe which is no meat which I like a whole lot more.

Yesterday I just lazed around the house. Did some laundry, took care of some to-do's. Had to call support to get some questions answered on how to update some fields in the shelter software. I didn't want to leave the house so we didn't even go out for our usual Friday night dinner. I made a small plate of nibbly's for DH and I could not decide what I wanted to eat and it got later and later so I actually went to bed hungry. :shrug:

We are about to leave the house to go run some errands and I have to leave when the "bus driver" announces he is ready which he just did. I will be back in a bit.

Ok, back again.

Went to the thrift shop, said hello to our friend, dropped off some supplies. Then talked DH into buying me a burger for lunch. On the way home we stopped at the shelter to pick up paperwork. Played with the kitties, talked with the staff. I only ate half my lunch so will have the rest for supper.

Damn - Nina must be cold. Overrode all attempts to block her and jumped up on my computer anyway. Don't know how long this will last - me being able to use my computer. Plopped her big butt all over my paperwork too. Now she is laying on my hand sucking up heat and getting in the way. May have to try this again later...

Donna :rofl: I can just see you & Nina in a battle right now. We just finished supper. I've been watching wonderful old movies w the holiday theme & some oldie TV shows on PBS. I needed a break from football.

A car just drove up our driveway, see you'all tomorrow.

Hello Everyone! It seems that everyone did very well on Thanksgiving; enjoying the food but not stuffing ourselves with it. You know, it is hard to enjoy something tasting when your stuffed. :dizzy:

We had a nice time with our friends. We watched the "Vacation" movie. I still like the original the best but it did have some very funny things in it.

We did a little bit of shopping on Friday evening. I bought 3 gifts. I plan on doing some on-line shopping when I get done posting here. I don't wait for cyber Monday. I know what I want and I just go ahead and put it in the cart and be done with it.

DH and I cleaned this house like crazy people on Friday. We moved furniture, mopped all the wood floors, wiped down the baseboards
and I finished the last 7 windows. I have tilt in windows so it makes them easier to clean. I know feel like I can be closed in all winter.

I was so tired on Friday after cleaning. We took breaks here and there but worked from 9-4:30. Then decided to clean up and head to the mall.

DH took his shower, and then I took mine. I was in the shower for about 15 minutes and when I turned it off, I still could hear water running. I pulled the curtain back and saw that the two faucets on the sink where running! I have no idea how that happened and DH hadn't a clue as well.

Well, because it was running so long, it wasn't going down the sink drain fast enough and water was all over the floor and in the drawers of the vanity and under where the doors are.

I was screaming! DH came running, saw what was happening. I had turned the water off by then but I needed to bail it out of the sink so it would stop overflowing into the vanity. We went and got me a cup and several buckets and I started bailing the water from the sink and the drawers. He got me paper towels and the mop.

I then noticed that my phone was on the counter laying in all that water! We didn't have any rice in the house so I told him to go get some and I kept cleaning the water out of the vanity and off the floor.

DH got back with the rice, I took my phone apart and put it in there and it works just fine this morning.

The vanity did not warp from the water and the drawers are ok as well and my bathroom floor is very clean! I do need to restock the paper towels.

I was crying and screaming all at the same time during most of that cleanup. I was so exhausted from all the house cleaning and I just wanted to shower and go to the Mall and then eat at Olive Garden.

We did do that but didn't go as many places as I wanted to...my body just wouldn't go. We went to the Olive Garden and I was falling asleep siting there.

Regardless, this morning I felt fine body wise and we could relax a bit. We watched the Ohio State/ Michigan game and I'm so HAPPY :carrot: that Ohio State won! (Sorry Dee!)

I also put up my tree and wreathes on the doors. I have a pencil tree that fits so nicely in a corner. It's pre-lit and I also put it up for a day with the lights on and make sure that I don't have any out before putting all the ornaments on the tree.

Michelle: How is the shoulder feeling? Hope to see you here soon.

Terra: Where are you lady? We miss you!

Shad: I hope you were able to go see all the places on your bucket list. Some of it sounds so amazing to see.

Happy: Did you get all your errands done today?

Ceejay: I hope you get that mouse! No one likes to think they are sharing a home with them. We have had a lot of rain here all day today. If it keeps up we will have some flooding issues. How is it looking in your area?

Laura: Your "green slime" sounds yummy! I hope you have a nice Thanksgiving.

Our visitors just left & I'm sleepy so this is short.

Susie, don't bother being sorry about the game today because Ohio played Michigan - U of M, color blue (Ann Arbor). Dh & I aren't fans of that university either. We're 100% loyal :smug: to my university Michigan State - Spartans (Lansing), green & white colors.

So I've taught each of our g-babes when they are 3 yrs old when they see anyone play football or basketball to chant "Go Green!" :cheer: for players wearing green. It's hilarious to see them chanting when 2 teams occasionally both have green as their school color :lol:


Good night you'all :hug:

Evening all,
I've been away doing the tourist thing and taking photos, which I will post as I can. Unfortunately the cameras battery decided to misbehave and I didn't get to take pics of Tane Mahuta the tree and a half. However as I can, I will put some photos up here for those not on facebook.

Is this a dying thread? I don't know, I do know however that I haven't been doing much on it for a while - mainly because when I get home from work, the last thing I need is to spend time on the computer. But things are getting back to normal - what's normal? - I don't do normal, now that things are settling down and people are winding down for Christmas.

Ceejay - good on you for getting that exercise in after all that food.

Dee - Welcome to come over for a meal or two. I haven't been cooking much since I have been over here, but once I get home, it will be back to doing my own thing again. You may get pictures once more.

Happy - good to hear that the stuffing recipe came out well. Always a chance that after all that effort, it doesn't come up to scratch. What did you have it with - one of the scrub turkeys from outback??

Susie - what a disaster in your bathroom, but it will be clean for a while now. Lucky it didn't warp the vanity and didn't total your phone. Think you deserved dinner out.

Okay, time to get off here and think about bed. I'll get some photos loaded up tomorrow - promise

Ok, once more with gusto. DH appears to be busy in his room, cat is busy pestering him...

Woke up this morning to the sounds of barking turkeys. Seems they have joined forces with another flock - perhaps adults from a clutch in past years. DH said they were surrounding the house. Will hold DH hostage for black oil sunflower seeds. ;)

Deer gun hunting season ends tomorrow. So far both of our bucks have gone deep in the woods and managed to survive. :D Hunters are complaining that there aren't many bucks to be seen. Perhaps it's because they allowed too many to be hunted 2 years past when we had such a devastating brutal winter and many died of cold and starvation. Maybe the population didn't come up to where it needed to be. Maybe the DNR needs to more closely monitor those who do hunt and take more than they need or what they shouldn't. Yes, it happens. Same with fish. There is an attitude (among some, not all) that it's only wrong IF they get caught. :rolleyes:

I did spend a good part of the evening entering more animals into the software system. Double whammy of slow internet and slow server on their end. But we are getting caught up and people are embracing the system so that's good.

Next week, not this week starts various holiday parties. I really don't feel the spirit any more. Not anti-Christmas, just don't feel like decorating, after I hear 3 Christmas songs I am done listening to that music, etc. Don't know how I can recapture it again. Was thinking that heading into the new year I really need to buckle down - seriously - on working on me. I keep saying WHEN I catch up, WHEN I finish this and I just seem to go on to the next thing.

If you are the shopping kind, I hope you got some bargains this past weekend. It pays to know your prices - sometimes the "Black Friday" advertised prices are not as cheap as the week before's sale ;) I did get a couple of sweaters at JC Penney. I generally wear fleece pullovers in a rainbow of colors, looking for something a bit different this winter. I have to go through my closet though as there is not a speck of space to add anything more.

Shad - good to hear that things are winding down. You have been running at a breakneck pace - eventually the body wears down or the mind shuts down. Good to have a breather. No, we would never consider eating one of the wild turkeys even though ours are bigger and would probably be tastier than your average wild turkey. Most wild turkeys spend their days foraging eating the assorted diet of bugs, ticks, whatever from rotting foliage. And they walk all day long non stop so they are not only rather tough and lean but they taste of what they eat which is not what we are used to. Our turkeys supplement with a diet of dried corn and sunflower seeds so I imagine they might be better tasting overall. Still, we don't kill - our only "hunting" is done with a camera. ;) However, if the end of the world comes, it's nice to know that if we had to we have an abundance of potential food in the form of deer, turkeys and fish nearby, although the deer and turkeys would quickly disperse I'm sure if we were not feeding them regularly.

Susie - OMG - what a MESS in the bathroom! Good thing you got it cleaned up before the wood swelled. However keep checking the kickboard under the cabinet face. That stuff unlike a cabinet is often pressed fiberboard and will gather water like a sponge. We had a flood in our kitchen when the water line to the dishwasher broke and while the cabinets were ok, 2 days later the kickboard swelled and warped and we had to replace it. I can only imagine the despairing feeling after you worked so hard to clean earlier, only to be left with this mess. Always something, eh? I love those pencil trees - they are great for enhancing a small corner.

Dee - perfect weekend relaxing and watching holiday movies. Sounds like fun. I'm sure you needed a break after all the busy days you've had.

Ceejay - glad you had a nice Thanksgiving. Good score on the fleece tops, I'm sure you will use them. Holy Cow that's a lot of rain!!! Hope it didn't freeze up on you. Why do you have to take vacation time for jury duty? Don't they have to let you take time off???

Hi Laura, Annie, Michelle, Terra :wave: Back to data entry for me :comp: