[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! The wind is howling and it is trying to seriously snow outside. We had rain off and on all day then the snow flurries started late this afternoon. I have a feeling it will be very slippery in the morning. Today was a typical Monday after a long weekend . . . kids couldn't remember anything! We have 3 weeks until final exams and Christmas vacation! It will go fast but I have so much to do. I took a nap in front of the TV tonight and now I need to get busy!

'Gma' -- Welcome home! For some reason I didn't think you would be home until tomorrow. I'm glad you had such a great time, but I'm sure you have a great time wherever you go! We didn't have any snow until today so I don't know where your vacation snow came from. Do you have a closet just for all of your purses?

Gail -- It's good to see you again today! I'm glad your Thanksgiving was a good one! You and Faye will be Grandmas again before you know it. I don't know why but it seems like it takes forever for the first grandchild to get here and the rest just take no time at all. It must be the excitement and anticipation working together.

I need to get busy! Have a terrific Tuesday!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Morning girls! I am again up very early with allergies and what not. It is very mild here this week and stirring up what is left of pollen and such so I am back to sneezing, etc. I will just nap a little later this morning if I am tired.

Sounds like everyone had a fine time over the weekend.

My sister and bil are a mess. My sister looks horrible, is having a myriad of health problems now, some of which she is causing herself, and my bil looks so frail. He has lost around 90 lbs since going to the nursing home. He was so thrilled to get to come to Thanksgiving for a few hours, but he was ready to go back when they came to get him. His MS is to the point now where he cannot sit up right in a scooter style wheelchair and has to use one of the large high backed electric ones. Boy, I can tell you honestly, I will NEVER get gastric bypass. My bil's sister had it about 18 months ago and had a lot of problems with it to begin with, but she now looks like a skeleton. Not thin and healthy, but thin and ill. Her face looks like just skin against bone, no fullness whatsoever and she STOOD UP to eat and all she did was pick at her food. She says she can't sit down to eat or it makes her ill. I know some people are thrilled with the results but I am not taking that chance ever! Her dd had the lap band and now is fatter than before I guess. She didn't come to dinner.

Woohoo, down to the last "trip" load of laundry to put away this morning. Boy you sure can mess up a lot of clothes. I don't know how people do it when they don't do laundry every day.

I have a friend who sells Home Interiors and got the yummiest smelling candles, blackberry vanilla, which smells wonderful, pear, carrot cake and a pumpkin thingy. I got a candy cane peppermint one for Christmas. I bought a whole bunch of stuff from her including a box of votives each for my dil and dd for Christmas to go into the candlesticks I bought them. She is such a sweet lady that she not only gave me the sale items that were over (ie the Oct special) for the sale price, she then gave me 30% off my whole order! I was adament to make sure she made some money on the deal. She says she did, but I don't know how.

I guess we are going to hold off on the cruise until 2007. My son wants us to come up there next spring/summer during the week and go to a Chicago Cubs game and that means burning some of Jack's vacation so we are going to go to Vegas again for a shorter vacation and take a mini one to Chicago.

Oh what a stinker their puppy was. Our dog is really docile and didn't like it at all. He wouldn't eat and then gorged himself when he got home and I had to deal with loose stools then yesterday. I doubt we take him again, though they and our friends absolutely loved him. He is a true lap dog and loves to be cuddled. He would sit for hours on my dil or son's lap and even laid across my son's stomach when he was on the couch watching tv. Their puppy is a real live wire and quit a bit bigger than fortune. Hopefully he will grow out of it as he matures as he drives my son nuts sometimes.
I finished my dd's hat for Christmas and it came out pretty nice. I even tried it on to make sure it will fit and it is fine and nice and warm too. Now all I have to do is finish the scarf then I am done, done, done with Christmas knitting and can get the baby stuff done. Can't believe the amount of stuff I got finished for Christmas this year. I think I am going to get the blanket done for my dh's friend with the hat, then start on one for my son and dil. I am thinking of making a pure white blanket in the baby lash and then taking a nice expensive ribbon and weaving it in the "lace" pattern around the edge.

Well, I better go. Have a good day everyone!

Faye

[GailR]

Happy Tuesday!

Well, once again my fluid retention has left my body! Gosh, that holiday eating will do me in no matter if I'm on program or not. It's that sodium!

I finally got my jeep back this morning and it looks great--can't tell it's been in an accident. Poor stupid deer. Wish I could say the same thing for her.

Since Kohl's was across the street from the body shop where my jeep was fixed, hubby and I went over there and did our FIRST batch of Christmas shopping! They had wonderful sales today. I got 50% off everything I bought. I was particularly happy to find some slim-fitting jeans for my oldest granddaughter. She's a skinny little thing--no butt!

Jean, you said that the kids couldn't remember a thing yesterday? Well, where I work none of the profs could remember a thing! Right now we're having a heatwave in Delaware--it's in the upper 60's today but we're going to get a lot of rain and with that a cold front and by the end of the week it will be in the 40's. My oldest daughter wants to be pregnant so badly! My youngest daughter says she is through.

Faye, I feel your pain with allergies. My allergies bother me something awful at times. Plus, I have skin allergies that drive me nuts. I've started hearing some not-so-good things about gastric bypass now. Doctors are discovering more and more post-operative problems. My oldest daughter has two friends that had the gastric bypass. One is doing great but the other one has a lot of problems (not so sure what they all are) resulting from the surgery. I guess the best thing is for all of us to make life style changes in eathing healthier and exercising. Losing weight is so tough and so many people are desperate. I'm sorry to hear about your BIL (and sister). I like candles but I stay away from the food-smelling kind--they just trigger something in me that makes me want to eat. Sounds like you got a great deal though!

Well...I've got to get back to work...

[Jean]

Good Evening, Flowers! Bob is in Des Moines tonight for a meeting tomorrow, so I am home alone. I feel like I am spinning my wheels tonight as I go from one thing to another without finishing the first thing. I don't know why I do that! I think it is time to close down and head for bed!

The excitement at school today was news about a party that was busted over the weekend. I found out it took place a few houses down the street from us. Joy! Now I have partiers living behind us and down the street both. 'Daddy' at the latest party is a lawyer for crying out loud! Anyhow, a bunch of dance squad girls were involved and they are supposed to go to state competition this weekend. The principal called parents in yesterday and the police were there questioning the kids. Out of 7 girls, two have had the possession charges dropped for some reason, and a third has hired a lawyer. The whole bust came about because one kid drove home drunk and put his car in the ditch. His parents let him sit in jail overnight. Out of 20 girls, the squad is down to 9 and the coach was told that more girls might be able to go to state after all. She has to revamp the routines "just in case." If it were me, as coach, I think I would cancel the whole trip and let it be a lesson to the entire squad. The ones who were doing what they should, would take care of the party people I would think.

'Gma' -- I hope your allergies have settled down. They are not fun! I'm sorry about your sister and brother-in-law. Their situation makes one thankful for their health and what they do have to celebrate.

Gail -- Enjoy your warm weather . . . cold is on the way! I know that Jason and Amanda are finished with their family. Amanda's parents are both diabetics and she had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies plus having a C-section both times. I hope Beth and Will are done also . . . he makes reference to baby items going on a big garage sale next spring.

On that 2 cents worth, I am heading off to bed! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[gma22]

Good chilly morning girls! Anyone watch biggest loser last night? Should inspire us all to do better with our weight loss work.

Jean: I am with you. Cancel the whole thing and be assured the ones who weren't in on it will climb all over those who were because their chances were ruined, especially any seniors. Adults these days seem to let the kids control things instead of the other way around.
Hope Bob made it home safe and sound.

I went to lunch with dd yesterday and that was nice. She and I talked about Christmas and we are going to the casinos again this year Fri through Sun so they are coming down on Sat to go swimming, play games in the room, go to the buffet for dinner and have Christmas with us then. We will then have Christmas day to ourselves to enjoy with out the animals.

I am going out Friday to finish up T's shopping with dd during her lunch hour then I have to wrap all the darn stuff! You know how I love that. I have two things to get for my sil since I bought his leather gloves on Monday. I am working on dd's scarf trying to finish it and ordered the rest of dd's gifts online at Kohl's on Monday. It looks like a department store in the spare room! The thing is, I spend $100 on each adult child and $200 on Thomas and I have gotten some really good deals so they are getting a lot of stuff. I found a beautiful mint striped sweater for dd and jeans, which she always seems to need and they only cost me around $35 total. I needed $75 to get free shipping so I bought Thomas a Spongebob watch/game/wristband, a cute beach sign for my house that was on clearance and a Madagascar card game for Thomas. I got my sil's leather gloves for $24 and bad girl, found a handbag on clearance then got another 50% off it so a $60 bag cost me $10!!! Just have to keep that fact to ourselves though!

Gail: Oooh, what would it be to have no butt!!! I don't ever think I ever saw those days! Yeah, even Kohl's online was having a big sale. I try and buy on sale as much as I can to make my $$$ go farther.

Well, I am going to get some chores done before Jack gets up then it is trash day and it looks like we already have had Christmas with trash not being picked up last week because of us being gone then we bought new dishes and stemware for the kitchen and we have all those boxes, then that lamp I told you about that we trashed and our styrofoam cooler we got when we ordered Omaha steaks earlier this year developed a leak when we took it to Indiana so out it goes too.

Have a great day everyone

Faye

[GailR]

Happy Wednesday!

Being back on program 100% after the holiday weekend is a relief to me...and my body. I'd say I feel better if it weren't for this wacky heating system in the office. It's over 80 degrees right now and no telling what it will be like this afternoon. The other secretary that I share an office with, are talking about "jumping ship" this afternoon. It's 10:10am and both of us feel so hot, sweaty, and wilted. We are not in a good mood! Watch out!

Jean, sad to say similar stories are on the tv news all the time. Too much spoiling by parents these days. I think more kids are spoiled because both parents work and they give their kids anything they want (or do anything they want) out of guilt. I do. Personally, I think any of the kids involved in that party should be kicked off the squad. Period. The parents who live in that house where the party took place should be brought up on charges for allowing such a thing to happen.

Faye, I don't mind shopping. In fact, I love shopping. BUT I do not like wrapping. My guest room will end up looking like a department store also at the end of this weekend. Very seldom do I pay full price for anything anymore...which makes me wonder about the markup on clothing, toys, electronics, etc.

Things are heating up (in more ways than one) here at work--we're coming to the close of a semester. Everyone wants everything done right now. Yesterday would be better. Well, they'd better get this heating thing fixed or nothing will get done. I'm about ready to go on strike!