Lush, surgery? I thought I was the only one who was being rebuilt piece by piece. Can your doc guarantee pain free results? I don't mean pain free recovery, but after recovery will he swear you will be all better, and able to post? This is very important. I think I will have to implement your expensive stuff buying plan. Except I'm so cheap, it will probably be Wal Mart, not Nordstroms. I hate being the half of the couple that's responsible for bill paying. I would like to be blissfully unaware of our financial state, and just use that plastic like some other boat-buying ppl do.

I wish my DH would quit smoking -- this would be a really good time to do that, too. He's actually lost weight and belly and butt with the work he's doing. Wabby, tell your dh he should cut and haul some trees and brush. You know how men are; he'd probably lose the extra weight in 3 days

I joined a walking club tonight!! It is sponsored by the local hospital; we all get cool little pedometers and we are supposed to show up every week to record our "steps". I went for the walk with them tonight and got about 4000 steps in! That's about 2 miles, but I much prefer the concept of thousands upon thousands of steps. I'm wiped out!

But now I have room for more chicken stew! I made a roux and thickened it with that. It was totally delicious, by the way. I think I'll put the recipe on my journal page later on.

Kiwi

Cowie--thanks for the www.engrish.com lead. I know what I need now... A stainless steel 6mm brain cleaner. Definitely!

Oooh. Crock pot stuff... warm and better for you than anything you can order in! But it's still too hot here.... for stews... unless I put on shorts (omigod) and crank up the AC.

Anybody else feel like hibernating and just taking long naps? Often I feel energized this time of year... but I am sort of overwhelmed. I think I want to go on a trip, but can figure out a)where to get the time and b)where to get the money. Wish I had a friend with a Jet who wanted to take me to visit my kids. All grown up and flown the coop. Living their own lives (and happily so... no "real" complaints) just far away.

I can whine in my journal. won't whine here. Sweet dreams y'all.

Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

Gads, Kiwi! If you get into any more extracurricular activities you won't have time to post! Way to go on the walking. And on the fabulous daughter. She'll make you proud(er) some day.

We have four cuuuuuuuuuuute baby hedgehogs in our garden being looked after by their adorable mom. They're "fall hedgehogs" born in late summer instead of spring, so we need to fatten them up by Nov. 1 so they make it through the hibernation period. They're supposed to get dog food, rolled oats, raisins and scrambled eggs. Yum.

I actually got off my butt and signed up for a yoga course just down the street at the Catholic church - Thursdays from 9-10.30 a.m. - just perfect for me. BUT they phone me yesterday and tell me that the course is for advanced yoga students, which I am NOT, and that they "forgot" to write that in the brochure. Hmphhh! More like the group has been together for the past 100 years and no one recognized my name on the list so I got booted. That's how things work around here. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get spiritually enlightened all by myself.

My hair is getting grey and everything that used to be perky is dropping fast. What should I doooooo? How much does it hurt when you wax your upper lip?

Ahhh...time for the old wax pot, huh? First it starts with the lip...then those @#%* chin hairs start popping up! I've never done it to myself, my sister does it for me. Brows, lip, and chinny chin chin. Hurts for a second, but it sure beats tweezing...and tweezing...and tweezing.

Hi Kat! I don't have a sister so I guess I'll have to do it myself. I just haaaaaaaate tweezing - never works for long anyway. I wonder how old I'll feel when I'm 50?

Hi Sug! my sis works in a beauty salon...so we do it there. I don't think it costs too much to have it done there...plus they'll put pre-treatment stuff on so that you don't burn. been there, done that...ugh.

Life is wonderful here, as usual. Francesca finished her year at the Sorbonne in the spring. We cruised the northern Atlantic in the spring; went to the Riviera for the early summer; then on to the Hamptons for August. What a lovely time we had. It is such a shock being back to the usual social obligations and League responsibilities. Francesca is back at Sweet Briar. It was so hard to say goodbye after spending all that time together.

Marcella, I have missed you so. You are so beautiful that it doesn't matter that you need to shop off the rack.

Stews are lovely. I like to make mine with all veggies and have it as my main course once a week. It is quite a heavy meal but I take care of that with dessert!

Sugar, darling, no hair anywhere but on your head, please. Your lip will not be painful. And what if it is? Once a month, I go to the Dreseala Spa where they put me into a deep sleep and perform all of those difficult grooming rituals. It is wonderful. I wake up feeling so refreshed and I look fabulous!


Duty calls! I am hostess to a dinner party at the Plaza tonight; I must get to the city in time. So nice to visit with you all,

Fondly,
Letty

DS is out waiting for the bus this morning .. appears back in the doorway and says "should I be concerned about a man lying in the yard next door?"

The man was dirty, curled up in fetal position and was facing away from us. I told DS to wait for the bus on the porch while I called the police.

They woke him up, checked his id and sent him walking down to the U.S. highway. Was glad he wasn't dead and hope no one else creepy comes along ever.

My stuff from Herbie's house is to be delivered here today probably. I still am holding a grudge about his comment "You left everything for me to do." I feel that his belief that I didn't cheerfully pack and move when he said has made him stubborn in getting this stuff to me. Of course, for a long time I didn't want to be bothered with it but we will assume the worst.

Anyway he's having an employee bring it over.

Kiwi, my fantasties about Herbie do not include him coming back to me. That is just not something I want unless he comes back changed in a way that is totally unrealistic.

Are having hedgehog families in the yard something good? Don't they eat the garden?

I am going back to bed. When I get up again, I expect to see posts on assorted subjects and from assorted blueberry fields.

Yikes there were post I didn't see. Letty is back!!!!!

It is pouring, I have to go to Penny's to return boys' pants. I will melt.

When I said it was raining, I misspoke...it is flooding. We're ready for the ark. This has been the crappiest summer...now all kids are in school and we haven't had very much fun this year. It is due to turn hot and nice in about a week....so that we're too busy to enjoy it.

Until it dies down, I'm doing financial stuff and trying to find someone to give my well a kick. My water pressure is low.

DS11 has come to the attention of a bully. It is a trauma in my house. I will be saying something to the teacher, even though I hate parents who do things like that. I believe that kids should be allowed to work these things out for themselves...except when it is my kid.

I have made progress in my house since school started yesterday. My room, ds11's room and the living room are in medium to good shape. My nails are ugly, should I get them Wabbyized at the mall?

Must go. I'll post later because Marcella and Letty are back and that always makes me happy. xxoo

i am dejunking dd17's room--she has allowed me to and she is a very trusting girl to allow this--wouldn't you agree [what with all the diarys and notes around!!!} BUT WHAT AN UNGODLY HORROR===SHE HAS KEPT EVERY PIECE OF PAPER,PACKAGING ,BAGS,CANDY WRAPPER,ETC SINCE SHE WAS BORN!!AND TONS OF CLOTHES!!! AND CD'S AND BOOOOOKS--------SOMEONE HELP ME