[GailR]

TGIF! (gotta love those punkins!)

Faye, we're having a Halloween Party/Lunch on Monday here at work and thankfully we were given the option of dressing up or not. I'm dressing in black and I'll be wearing Halloween socks. That is it for me! Some people really go all out and dress up in elaborate costumes. What a coincidence--when I walked into the office this morning, one of the other secretaries was doing some on-line Christmas shopping and my DH is right now at the Home Depot buying a full-view glass storm door for one of the daughters and sil. We have officially started our Christmas shopping as well. My parents are coming to DE next weekend (remember they cancelled out last week) and I'm going to be buying my Christmas cards and a few new tree ornaments then.

Maggie, congrats to you for another loss! I'm definitely joining Tuesday evening--it just seems the right thing to do--it will be November 1st (I love fresh starts) and I'm definitely ready. A goal of one pound lost each week through the holiday season sounds very doable.

Ohmygosh Jean, a snake on your deck! EEEEYEW! Ugh! At least it wasn't inside your house! Now THAT would freak me out...don't think I'd like to see a cat eating on one though either. Bless your heart! I know my neighbor plants mums in her yard and she doesn't take them up for the winter--they do grow back the next season and larger. BUT I'll be putting mine in pots and I'll probably just trash them at some point. Mums are very cheap right now. I really don't have much of a green thumb--we hired a landscaper last spring to put in some bushes and trees in--I can keep something alive but I always need help deciding where something should go. Hmmm...maybe I'm just wishy-washy and DH got fed up waiting for me to decide and he went and hired a landscaper!

Sooooo glad it's Friday!

[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

It is a chilly morning this day and the rain has stopped. Cowboy got up early and was out to work. Ragg Mopp and I slept in and enjoyed it for sure. When I got up I saw that the coffee pot had been loaded and ready for me to just punch a button and I would have my morning cupa. What a guy! I don't have much planned for today but the regular cleaning up the little space we do have. In this thing there has to be a place for every thing and everything in its place or it looks cluttered and I am not fond of that cluttered look. Ah but Life is good.

FAYE I can imagine you won't be the only couple at the party not wearing a costume. Have fun and stay OP and you will be a success. I have seen some folks around here that are already wearing costumes down town. One lady had on a black thing with fringe all around the bottom and long sox of orange and black ring stripes with black high heels. She looked like a witchy woman. Maybe that is her daily attire. Got my attention. That is a hoot about your cat chewing on your little dog. Animals are fun little creatures aren't they. I can look out my window and see Ragg Mopps wading pool turned upside down for the winter. Kinda sad ~ out there covered with leaves. Old man winter has his foot in the door. When it rained yesterday it also rained oak leaves. We are parked under a huge old oak and it is dropping it's leaves and acorns and whatever else is in its branches. I have got to think of what I want for breakfast ~ I have points friendly stuff here but am not interested in just one thing if you know what I mean. Don't know what I want ~ FAYE I have made french toast with that kind of bread and it does change the taste. My favorite bread to use for french toast is raisin bread ~ OH YUMMMMM.

Everyone have a lovely Friday. I almost typed Saturday ~ getting a day ahead of myself there. This is the weekend we change our clocks. Fall back an hour.

[GailR]

I'm going to the grocery store this evening to do the week's shopping. Raisin bread for French toast...never had that...but it sounds good right now so thanks for the idea Maggie! I wonder if there is a lite raisin bread? I'm sure there is. A professor in the department supplies us all with fresh eggs--he's given me a dozen today. I like French toast for dinner too. Now my mind is stuck on Raisin Bread French Toast! With a cold glass of 1% low fat milk. Oh yeah.

Maggie, I bet that witchy woman did catch your eye--sure would've woke me up! Today is Fall Break at the university so it is quiet here--I think the students are sleeping. On Monday we'll see lots of people dressing up.

Break is over....

[GailR]

Speaking of French Toast, there is a recipe for Upside Down French Toast on the homepage of the WW website. Looks yucky to me. I still want Raisin Bread French Toast though.

[Maggie]

GAIL and you shall have French Toast. Let me know if you find a lighened version of raisin bread. When I had it I had made my own bread but I no longer have a bread machine ~ alas ~ no room for it. I use a sugar free syrup and that butter spray and it is sooooooo good.

[GailR]

I have a bread machine! I haven't used it since last winter--I've put it away--forgot about it! DH looooooves home made cinnamon raisin bread. I'll have to make bread for him. BUT...I will look for lite raisin bread. I'll let you know. I'm sure there are some lite versions out there...after all there seems to be a lite version of every food out there.

[nanacas]

OK you people now you have me going....raisen bread French Toast. I do know there is a lite raisen bread out there, I have had it. Now I just have to go and get me some. Nice lightish meal and even DH will like it.

To answer Jean's question DH has an appt on Jan 6, '06 for an arthroscopy on his knee. He has a torn miniscula, a baker's cyst and arthritis and has been limping more and more. That disability placard and his Shillaleigh that he uses as a cane has helped him get around. It is hard for me to seem him so immobile as he has always been a walker and was averaging 5 miles a day not too long ago. We are looking forward to better days.

Gail: Christmas shopping is just a glimmer in my thoughts and I am probably not going to really get into it til we get back from Disney. If it gets too bad then I guess we will be giving checks. I did get one gift for 11 yr old Kerri. I found a beautiful book of Hans Christian Anderson Fables and then got her the DVD of the same name with Danny Kaye. This young lady loves to read and I thought this would be something different. Only 6 more gifts to go as I do have the NC contingent taken care of and we will bring them with us on the trip.

Maggie: Falling leaves are a big part of NE life and we actually don't have a tree on the property but everyone else has.

Faye: Have fun at the Halloween party. This has always been one of our favorite holidays, especially when the kids were younger.

Gloria
COUNTDOWN TO DISNEY....15 days!