Good morning all,

I am suffering from a coma alright but from work overload! I have been going non-stop since Thursday morning and had to come back to work to rest!! LOL Friday morning we went shopping with DAD for our Christmas presents beginning with lunch at the Four Seasons......(the LA Lakers had infiltrated the place and it was interesting to watch them. Then off to Saks to meet our personal shoppers.........it's really la, la land. I had a hard time picking something out because I don't plan on being my current size for long! Hopefully, I will be able to exchange what I have if it doesn't fit by Christmas.

Yesterday did some Christmas shopping. I can't believe I actually said that!

My eating was good until Saturday and then I let my hair down and have more than a few glasses of wine! Oh well, I am back on track but I bet it will reflect on my scale at tomorrow's weigh in!

Raeanne, thanks for that sweet little note.

Tikanas, SO GOOD TO SEE YOU POST! WELCOME BACK. Glad you are enjoying your new home too.

BJ, our tractor has what's know as a bush hog or a brush hog depending on who you talk to. It's a big flat mower deck that attaches to the back of the tractor and is driven by the PTO. It's about 4'x4' square.

I have to get myself back into the work thing...........I have so much to do and it's a 5 day week!! LOL

Hiya, hiya, hiya!

Thanks for getting the Monday morning crew going here, Raeanne! I do not have a turkey-induced coma! I made a keen veggie turkey stock soup after turkey day though. Organic everything-my turkey was organic, so was the zucchini, celery, shredded carrots, and mashed yams for thickener. As seasoning, I used Kuaui Hawaiian red sea salt from my aunt-she collects it from the Salt Pond Park. Anyway, the soup turned out nicely! Yummers!

Thanks for the info on the tractor, NHSuzanne! After the winter rains here, the grasslands sprout as soon as it warms up and all of a sudden, KABOOM!--it's out of control. Hopefully, by spring, the land will sell and I won't have to try to control the Canadian thistle or grass, but I want to have the ducks in a row to mow. So, thanks again! --Sounds like your holiday season is off and running! What fun to hang out with your DAD and family!

I'm getting geared up for the (hopefully) last house inspection and family interviews this Wednesday. Off to the garage with me! I'm taking my cue from Milkdud's organization motivation.

Check in, everyone!

I always think of KYSusie during this time of year. Through their belief system, she and her daughters were always doing cool things for other people, especially during the holidays. I hope she's okay. I know she was having a difficult time for a while and then stopped posting. Let's mentally send her some lovely thoughts and light today... :-)

Good Monday morning! It's 50 and sunny here today. I moved wrong somehow during the night, and I'm just now able to sit up and get here. I'll be taking it easy today, using a heating pad and popping Advil.

My eating suffered badly this weekend. My new DIL brought the most wonderful smelling, then wonderful tasting, cookies and breads. Other DIL brought over brownies and pies on Saturday. When hubby returned from LA yesterday, he took us out for lunch, and everything was fried seafood! Today I'm guzzling water and praying that my body wants to get back on target.

NHSuzanne, what a great way to overwork - shopping! Forgive yourself the wine and move on with me!

Raeanne, I actually didn't eat all that much turkey, so my coma must be from all the sweets I wasn't used to eating.

BJ, my sister IS one of those natural decorators. She just decorated her brand-new home, then redecorated her MIL's, is working on helping her DD decorate her new home for Christmas, coming down here next Sunday, then back home to help her daughter decorate her home for everyday living, too! I am tweaking my decoraitng style to be more American primitive, so we'll get to shop for all kinds of new things. H doesn't care what we do as long as he has a comfortable place to sit and read the paper!

I hope that all those who haven't checked in yet are having a great day, as well as those of us already here!:)

Happy MONDAY!

Checking in to say a big HELLO TIKANAS!!!!!!! Forgot to welcome you the other day, but the sentiment is there. Please hang around here with us! The other night, DH was clicking through TV stations and noticed a re-run of The Sopranos. It took me back to our tacky ornament exchange and my masterpiece to you! Hope you and the children are doing OK. I'm glad you have the opportunity to entertain more and are getting settled in.

BJ and Suzanne---tractors? What more can I say? LOL!!!

Maddie, check in with us sweetie. Hoping to see you in less than 2 weeks.

Marci, hope all is well with you.

Greetings to milkdud, magickitty, patti, dave, amy, john, jen, donna, besh, gretchen, joanne......and apologies to all I've missed.

Gotta run as I'm way behind in a bazillion projects here.

Take care, eat healthfully and NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!
DeeMarie

Hi All,

And Happy Belated Thanksgiving! What a wonderful weekend I had. DS & DIL were here visiting, in fact they are still here and leave tonight. It was so nice to have the house full of family. My Mom was here and we had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner after watching DS football game. The house will seem so quiet tomorrow. :-(

Thanks for the input on my resume. I have not heard anything on my job yet which is very unnerving. I have been so busy with my family that I have not paid much attention to my resume. I will get it in order and see what happens. At least I will be ready.

Patti, last week I saw that you have mentioned something about Mt. Washington. Last August my Godchild flew here from Colorado to race in a mountain bike race. It was cancelled because of snow! In August! Very unpredictable weather up there!

Hi Tikanis. Good to see you back.

BJ, good luck with the balance of your home inspection. I know it will be fine and I am very excited for you.

Suzanne, personal shopper? What a treat. What did you buy?

Maddie, I won't be going to NY the weekend that you are there. The plans have been slowly self destructing over the past few weeks. I would love to get there sometime though. I am sure that you and Dee and Raeanne will have a great time.

My colonoscopy went fine so I don't have to go back until I am 60. They told me I am on the 10 year plan. It really is not as bad as I thought it would be. The night before and the day of. Any of you that are putting it off because of it's unpleasantness, it really is not that bad. It is so important to have it done. Enough preaching!

Raeanne, I not only have a turkey hangover, I have a food hangover. I was far from a perfect Weight Watcher this weekend. Tomorrow is another day!

Enjoy!

Love, Besh

Yeah, DeeMarie, as a matter of fact-

NHSuzanne and I are working with Kenny Chesney and Rod Stewart on the collaboration of a new hit song we've got on our hands...it's called...

"Do Ya Think my Tractor's Sexy?"

It starts out like this:

If ya want my body, and you think my tractor's sexy, c'mon baby, let me know..."

Catchy tune, eh? I can actually picture people flicking their Bics and swaying back and forth as they read this~~~~~~

Good Morning from a soggy PA! If anyone say last night's Monday Night Football game, you know what kind of weather we have been having! :~(

My Thanksgiving break was great. DS made it home and we had a nice visit. My eating wasn't perfect, but it wasn't horrible either. I made 4 pies and a carrot cake and I only ate 2 small pieces of carrot cake. I didn't taste any of the pies and managed to give all the leftovers away.

Tikanas - Glad to see that you are able to post again. We missed you!

BJ - You are too clever!!

I enjoyed my time off, but it went too fast! I got some of my decorations out and I plan to finish the rest this weekend. We got a new tree last year and I am anxious to get it up and see how it looks, but I feel like it is too early since it is still November. Anyone else started their decorating yet?

Gotta go get something to eat and get ready to go back to school.
Later,
Marci

Hi! Everyone sounds so cheery.

Milkdud~I'm sorry that you are hurt.

I am not suffering from "turkey coma" b/c I didn't eat any turkey. LOL

BJ~We are leaving on the 14th of Dec. We will go to Dallas, Big Spring, Midland, Dallas, then to Okmulgee, OK. There will be stops in the panhandle of FL, in AL, MS, and LA possibly and we will see friends and family around Dallas in Carrollton, Lewisville, Lake Dallas, and Fort Worth. We won't be back until sometime after the 1st of the year. We aren't in a hurry b/c we want to avoid all of the traffic.

Marci~Sorry that you have to go back to work. My Dad's birthday is on the 17th of Dec. and he wouldn't let us decorate until after his birthday. We decorate much earlier now but didn't decorate this year.

Besh~I could use some cooler weather here. It could cool down about 15 degrees and I would be happy. That would make it around 70. I am dreading the time that the dr. says that I'm going to have to have a colonoscopy.

Dee~You are so sweet to remember those who haven't posted in quite a while.

NH Suzanne~Perhaps your weight won't be so bad. I checked this a.m. I thought that mine would be awful & I had actually lost some. I know that I hadn't checked it in a while but it is down from when I last checked it. I hope that you find the same surprise on your scale!

Raeanne~Thanks for getting us started.

Tikanis~Congrats on the new home!

Tomorrow I have an early dr. appointment so it will be late before I get to check in. I'll look forward to seeing what everyone is up to. Patti :)

Good TUESDAY morning!

BJ, I am LOL at the office! You are too funny. You must remember to record that with those thigh-high boots on. Whoa hoooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

QOD: Still have my thanksgiving decorations up, but tomorrow night I plan to take them down and start with the decorating. I want DH to devote the entire weekend to putting up the Snow Village so that it is not in the way closer to the holidays!

Besh, glad to hear you received good results and that you had such a nice time over the weekend. Sorry you can't join us but maybe you will be able to to go Saratoga (Raeanne, Suzanne, Donna) hahahahahahahaha

Patti, good luck at the docs today.

Marci, I heard bits and pieces about the game last night. I was in bed after Dancing with the Stars so I did not get a look. DH said it was really bad out there.

Make today count!
DeeMarie

QOD: Our neighborhood already looks like something out of a Chevy Chase movie with all the lights people put up over the weekend. Some landscaping companies here hire themselves out to put up people's holiday lights, so people really go crazy. I haven't got any lights up yet, but will probably split my decorations between here and the island. We'll have a fake tree here and a real one there. I gave lots of lights to DD for her dorm; she wanted to give it a holiday look!

Maddie, Raeanne, Deemarie, and NHSuzanne- When's the big day? I can't wait to hear what you guys have planned.

Good Morning Everyone,

Marci, we decorated Thanksgiving nite. I have always felt the season is to short, so I decorate early.

Suzanne, Have you received your package yet? I should be getting your second part out soon.

Does anyone do Longaberger or Pampered Chef? I love pampered chef because it's in my budget. I really like the longaberger pottery, but its a little high. I have never been a basket fan though.

How is everyone doing on their eating plans? I stuck like glue to mine through Thanksgiving. Now to get through all the Christmas white chocolate fudge.

Better run, Have a great day.

Jen

Good Tuesday afternoon! I'm finally able to be up and sitting at the computer. I think the kink in my back is history now!

BJ, I think it's great that you're going to foster a child. That will be a fortunate child who is placed with you!

Besh, glad the colonscopy went well. I need to have one done, but I haven't even found a doctor here yet. I agree that the procedure was no big deal; it's the preparation that's awful.

Marci, so happy to read that you got to hang out with your kids and resisted almost all temptations. I didn't manage that at all.

Jen, I want your willpower, too!

DeeMarie, I'm looking around this house to see if there's a way to finally set up my Christmas village for the first time in 11 years. So far, it's a "no". :(

I've been beating myself up for all the fattening, high-carb things I ate over the long weekend, then I realized that at Christmas, I really won't have the temptations I had a Thanksgiving because my stepkids will be here, and my H would rather take them to the grocery store when they get here and let them pick out what they want to eat and drink during their visit, so I won't be doing any cooking or baking for them. They claim that they don't like anything I fix, so I won't have things around that will tempt me. I felt better about things once I thought it all through. They like foods that are heavy on red meat and potatoes and snacks that don't appeal to me.

One thing I really need to work on is drinking more water. Got any good tips on how to work in more water during the day?

Have a great day, everyone!

Good Morning!!!!!

Tikanis - WELCOME BACK!!!!!!! Good to hear from you again! Please fill us in on your new home, etc.

BJ- You will make the best foster parents!!!!!!! DH and I looked into it. We are unsure of how long we will be in FL, so fostering might not be the route we should go. But I will keep my fingers crossed for you that you get a little one soon!

Congrats to all who lost weight during these eating times. LOL!

No Turkey induced coma for me. Maybe my DH....he ate all the leftover turkey.....he just loves those turkey and mayo/lettuce tomato sandwiches. I prefer to munch on the sausage stuffing with gravy and green bean casserole. Those are my fav leftovers..and cranberrys.

I am going to try to get in the christmas spirit this year and decorate this coming weekend.

Milkdud - glad your kink is out of your back - ouch!

Jen - I love Pampered Chef, I have a tremendous amount of their items. My mom even gave me some of hers since she did not even use it and I actually have doubles of a couple things. I will have to take a look at the Longaberger pottery website. I did not know they even made that. I used to go to parties like 15 yrs ago, I have one little basket.

NH Suzanne, Marci, Patti, Donna, DeeMarie, Maddie, John, Raeanne a hello to you all!!!!!!!

A big shout out "HEY" to anyone I have missed!!!!!

Hope your day is SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!

Lynn

Good morning all,

I arrived home last night after a cold, windy and rainy day to a package on my step! It was from Jen. She sent me the neatest picture frame for a cowgirl or cowboy! It had barbed wired (faux) and a big gold star! I love it and when I saw it I thought of my favorite nephew is my little cowboy so a photo of him is going right into that frame! Thanks Jen, I love it. If that were not enough there was a really neat running horse rack with three hooks for keys or hats itÂs kind of a metal sculpture! I love this too and I have just the place for it. Thanks Jen for your generosity and thoughtfulness  how ever did you know what I would love?? LOL I cannot believe you are sending something else but I will surely look forward to it! Thank you my friend.

Milk Dud, I have been beating myself up about Thanksgiving and my scale reflected a 1lb gain!!! Argh. I have been fighting with the same 1-2 lbs since my trip to Woodstock, VT! ItÂs getting ridiculous and I have to hunker down and focus again. ItÂs so easy to lose focus during the season of many temptations. I am constantly reminding myself that Thanksgiving is one day and Christmas is one dayÂÂÂÂ..not from November 22 through December 25,!! It is not one big long holiday! LOL Glad your back is feeling better.

TractorsÂÂÂ.Dee, you should see mine!! LOL Actually, tractors and big trucks are men magnets. When I am filling my big truck up at the gas station (donÂt even ask how much it costs to fill!), men will "hit" on meÂÂÂÂÂÂ..I have learned not to be flattered in anyway because they are drooling over my truck!!! ROTFLMAO

BJ, I love the lyrics to your song! You witty thing you..

Besh, I am happy you have that nasty little chore behind you!! Glad it wasnÂt as bad as you expected.

Maddie, my plans for attempting to get to NY when you are there have faded as well. ItÂs such a busy time of year and I am afraid I had to commit to something else for that weekend. I hope you guys have a wonderful time.

Donna, how are you doing with WW on line? I still love it but I have to really focus on using it and focus hard. I think I have to really try to kick up my activity but when to find time between barn chores morning and evening and work. ItÂs hard!

Patti, my sisterÂs birthday is on December 23rd and I always try so hard not to make sure her gift is not holiday related. No matter how one tries itÂs tough for her  Christmas seems to diminish her special day. I have often asked her to pick a date for her and I to celebrate her birthday that isnÂt close to December  I thought we should do it for both of us since mine is usually right around TGiving but she doesnÂt seem "in to" that idea. SighÂ

Raeanne, where are you sister??

QOD: I have not begun to do any decorating but I am hoping to at least get my barn window boxes and lights up at the barn. At the house I put the candles in the windows and do a little inside with a very small tree. We are not there at Christmas I donÂt like to take all the time to do it when no one will enjoy

here I am Suzanne - I love to hear about your annual shopping expedition! I liked your idea about the 2 of you sharing a birthday celebration - maybe she will change her mind in the future.

Maddie - any word on your schedule yet? My girfriend called and is coming up that weekend from FL. I am not bailing on you but am trying to coordinate some time with her as well. They are lighting your tree in Rockefeller Center tonight!

Jen - I have some Pampered Chef items and my sister collects Longaberger baskets. Congrats on being dedicated to your WOE.

Lynn - good luck with the decorating this week. I haven't made much progress, and I don't do a lot of decorating anymore.

Milkdud - I'm glad you stopped beating yourself up. You have been doing very well.

BJ - sounds like you could use some sunglasses at night in your neighborhood.

Patti - you have quite an iternary lined up for you, I'm glad you are taking your time.

Marci - the time off does go by too quickly. I'm glad DS was able to join you.

Dee - did you start with the decorating? The snow village should keep DH out of trouble this weekend LOL.

I only put candles in the windows, flowers and stockings on the mantel, a minature advent tree on my foyer table, a centerpiece on my dining room table, a wreath on my door, tiny white lights on a couple shrubs in front of my dining room window and the tree. I have scaled back dramatically. No more garland on the bannister, no window decorations, or little knick knacks anywhere.

The past 2 years I have bought Paperwhites from Target and right before Thanksgiving I start them in the pots they come in and by Christmas I have some very pretty blooms for my mantel. I also bought new candles this year. I hated dealing with the electric cords. These are battery operated LEDs that flicker and automatically go off in the daylight. I wasn't so sure I would like the flicker, but I think I can get used to them, I just hope my neighbors don't call the fire department - they look pretty real.

Enjoy your day!

Besh, I e:mailed you 3 examples of resumes which I received from a colleague who was recruiting. If you need clarification, please e:mail me back with your phone number and I'll be happy to elaborate. (Don't want to give away too much over the internet about where I work or what we do!) You really should update your resume, even if you are OK this go-around, young lady!

Today as been an endless stream of meetings. ...BUT....instead of sitting here and trying to get any work completed, I'm heading off to the fitness center for a circuit class. I'm sure I'll have a better attitude tomorrow with a class behind me.

Good Wednesday evening, ladies! This day got away from me, to put it mildly.

Well, believe it or not, I was actually down 2 pounds today!!! It must have been eating so much food that kicked my stall into gear. I don't know what it was, but I'm thankful that I hadn't gained, so the rest of today I've eaten well. Plus, all the enticing foods are gone now, thanks to my unique food disposal system - me!

QOD: I'm in the process of decorating the tree, but it's been very slow. And, today, my sister called and told me that she was bringing some things for the tree and to hold off decorating if I could. I CAN! LOL

I hope everyone's doing well today. i need to get busy fixing H's dinner. i spent all day Christmas shopping in the next town, and snuck in a nap this afternoon.

Have a nice evening!

Hi All! Love reading what everyone is up to.

Jen~Sounds like you did a great job shopping for Suzanne.

Lynn~Glad that you stopped in.

Milkdud~Congrats on the 2#.

Suzanne~I have a friend who has a birthday on the 25th & she DOES celebrate it on a different day. She was always getting just one gift at Christmas instead of a Christmas & a birthday gift from everyone.

Raeanne~I've seen the paperwhites at Target but never bought any. Of course, it probably isn't cold enough here anyway. LOL

BJ~You sound busy, GF.

Dee~I will probably have more news tomorrow as I go to see if anything is wrong with my liver then.

Be good to yourselves... Patti :)

Happy THURSDAY!

Well, I did head off to the circuit class and I felt great about it. Eating is a bit off today, but I walked this morning, took the stairs all day in work, and plan to do a mini-workout with DH tonight (Nooooo, not that!) He wants to learn some resistance exercises and I have light weights for him to use....also bands. If he agrees to work at it a few times a week, it's bonus exercise time for me.

OK, need to get back to work.
Later...................check in folks.

Where did John go? Gretchen? Amy? come on out

Good afternoon, Dee and anyone else peeking in! ;)

it's nice and sunny here today, and 70 degrees. I got out to run errands at the post office, library, and grocery store. It was a good day to get those things done as there were no crowds anywhere i went.

I'm doing better about drinking more liquids now. The eating is kind of sporadic this week, either feast or famine for me. Yesterday I ate very little, today, I've been stuffing my face, but with pretty good food.

Dee, you impress me with all the exercise you get! What a great place you work at!

Patti, get back and post about what's going on in your life right now. My life is pretty boring, so I really enjoy reading what others are doing.

Take care and have a successful day, everyone!

P.S. the "i" key doesn't seem to want to be capitalized today.

Dee~Give DH some "resistant" exercise. ROFL You had me laughing with your post. I would have never thought of "that" without your mention. It would be "bonus" for you.

Milkdud~Our lives are getting hectic about now. Two weeks from tomorrow, we leave for TX. I cannot believe it. DS#1 is moving in his new home the day that we get there so we will be moving him in. (I plan to babysit.) tee hee I hope that works with everyone else's plans. :) The dr. said that she wanted to get the tests results from the hospital & the bloodwork before doing anything so she wanted me to come back in a month. We told her that we wouldn't be here & so we go back the middle of Jan. I'm having my hair done tomorrow. Dave says that should be my one splurge. Between drs. & getting the car ready & laundry before we leave, our schedule is full. Of course, I will be by here every day.

Hello to all I have missed. I felt awful yesterday for not saying hi to you & won't make the same mistake today. I hope that you are out having fun & not swamped.

Maddie~Are you still with us?

Be good to yourselves... Patti :)

Good Friday all,

It's kind of quiet here. Check in.

Dee how was your "mini workout" with DH?? LOL

Patti, you sound very busy. Hope you have a nice hair appointment! At least 1 hour of doing nothing@! Love it.

Milk Dud, congrats on the 2#'s! Keep up the good work!

It's supposed to be extremely cold here this weekend. Cold and windy making it feel like it's in the single digits. Ugh. Then Sunday afternoon it's supposed to start warming up into the high 20's and snow.........they don't know how much yet but it's a Nor'Easter which could be alot of snow.

I am never going to get to ride. It's going to be too cold to even think of it tomorrow. I am getting depressed over not being able to ride right now.

QOD: What is up for everyone for the weekend? I am going to get some decorating done inside. Also have to move all of my tack out of the barn and into the warmer cellar for the winter. Get the tack room buttoned up and tidy for what may be a long winter...........grrrrr

Also, cut more firewood with DH.

Good afternoon from sunny and warm (71 degrees) Texas!

Suzanne, I can't even imagine the kind of weather you're going to have this weekend, and to be honest, I don't want to! Down in the 40's is plenty cold enough for me.

Patti, I hope your hair turned out the way you wanted. I just got mine foiled on Tuesday, and I always feel so good about myself afterwards.

QOD: Today, I'm picking up to get ready for a big cleaning again, doing laundry, and working on Christmas cards. Tomorrow, I'm going shopping at some antique and junk stores and to lunch with a new friend here. Sunday, my sister is flying down from Dallas, and we'll stay busy till she leaves Thursday morning shopping to decorate my house. I'm so excited about her coming. We'll have so much quality time together, something we didn't get in Dallas because we'd just meet for a quick lunch every few weeks, then go on our separate ways.

So far today, the eating has been good. I like staying busy because it distracts me from food. H is working all day tomorrow, so I'll fix a nice dinner tonight and tomorrow night, baked chicken and green beans tonight, pork kabobs over brown rice tomorrow night.

Hope everyone is having a good day!

NH Suzanne~Sounds like you have a busy weekend planned. Sorry that you aren't getting to ride. :(

Milkdud~I'm thrilled that you have found a new friend. It is so much fun getting to know all about someone new. Finally, it is time for your DSis to be there, huh? You both have a great time. My hair turned out great. She usually straightens it...& Dave loves it curly so this time she let it do its "natural" curl & Dave came in & asked if I had gotten a perm. LOL We laughed. She is Hispanic & always says that my hair has much more natural curl than hers. %:)

QOD: We have so much to do next week that we will go to the PO tomorrow & the place that we live is having a "community garage sale" that we will check out to see what kind of stuff every one else is trying to unload. Actually a woman called me last night & said that she is selling all of her scrapbooking stuff so I'm interested in that. Should be fun.

Hi to all. Hope your weekend is all that you want it to be. Be good to yourselves b/c you deserve it. Patti :)

Once again I must catch up - how the time flies!!!

Suzanne, WW online, in spite of a few flaws, is awesome and I'm glad I did it. The proof will be in the pudding Sunday AM when I weight in :-)

QOD: Christmas decorations --- really.

Dee, Suzanne. Raeanne and Maddie - your time to meet is coming closer..how exciting!!!

Will read, catch up and make some sense...good night!!

Donna

Rabbit, Rabbit!!! ( I still haven't figured out what that really means!)

Good morning from cold and blustery NH. I just got back from the barn and I can tell you that it's going to be a miserable day. The wind is howling and it's COLD. We got a dusting of snow last night which is a taste of the storm we are expecting on Sunday night.

SO, I hope you all have a warm and productive Saturday. My intention is to clean my office ( a never ending process) and then do a little decorating in the house.

We had alot of excitement here in NH yesterday as a man took four hostages at the Clinton headquarters in Rochester, NH. All worked out last night and no one was hurt. I still don't know what the guy's motive was but he was a local man down on his luck.............the media just keeps hammering at it and it's getting old!

Check in if you are around. I did all the laundry last night so I don't have to face that chore!

NH Suzanne~LOL I was coming here to say, "Bugs Bunny--Rabbit, Rabbit!" Try to stay warm today.

Donna NJ~Thanks for dropping by. Please take the time to come back. I hope that you are able to read & get caught up & get back here. Have fun putting up your decorations.

Well, it is off to get the day started. Have a good weekend everyone. Patti ;)

Happy SATURDAY!

QOD: Made a metric ton of tomato 'gravy' with meatballs and sausage yesterday. It was so much that I finished it up in 2 crockpots overnight on low. Just got finished placing it in containers, labeling and sealing the containers in zip baggies before popping into the freezer.

I will make 1 or 2 batches of cookie dough for the freezer, and start on about 8-10 pounds of chicken cutlets and make my lemon chicken (for the freezer). That should make a huge dent into my holiday cooking.

Oh yes, in between, I will put some decorations. The tree has to wait until tonight because I have a cast iron 6-foot bathtub turned upside down on a tarp in the foyer part of my living room. Seriously....DH had it sandblasted and painted the outside of it black last night. Once it's dried, he is going to rent a handtruck and get his brother to bring it 2 flights up to the master bathroom (which is s-l-o-w-l-y winding down to completion.) I simply cannot wait to show you guys pictures of our victorian bathroom when it's finished. DH did it all by hand, but it's been such a long process (as most of you know).

Snow Village may need to be delayed until next weekend because there is just not enough time to do it all!

OK, that's enough for QOD!!!!!!!!
**************************************

Firming up plans to meet Maddie on Friday with Raeanne. Suzanne cannot make it this time, but we hope to get our bigger group together soon in Saratoga (Raeanne, Suzanne, Donna)! ...or French Lick, INDIANA (the whole darn SS group!)

OK, need to get out of PJs and continue on..........

TAKE CARE, EAT HEALTHFULLY, AND NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!
DeeMarie

YEAH! The tub is now up in the bedroom, just outside the new bath. DH will put another coat of paint on it, and we are waiting for the feet to be 'chromed'

Question: This bath is all white with black and chrome accents. Where would I shop for a couple of small black and white photos for it? I was thinking about taking black and white photos of the bathroom once it's finished and placing them on an opposite wall.....like, a photo of the bathtub filled with bubbles and towel draped over it. Also, I need a good site for shower curtains. Still looking for black towels that don't cost a fortune......

Can you tell I'm excited?

Froze the dough for 2 batches of cookies. Made 2 huge trays of lemon chicken; they are cooling before I pack them to freeze. Need to bring up some more decorations up from basement, but that family room remote is calling my name. ;-)

Wow!

Everyone sounds SO BUSY!! I am still trying to catch up.

Last night I had a little wine tasting and dinner party for some nurse friends that I have worked with.What fun!

Next week is the gingerbread house making party. I am excited to be hosting it this year. DD is helping me and we have just finalized our menu: white and rye tea sandwiches cut into the shape of gingerbread men, roasted tomato quiche, 2 salads and for dessert, a chocolate fondue with chunks of gingerbread. This does not sound too good for the waistline.....

My house is really shaping up. I LOVE living here. What a change from that town house! I have 3 bdrms; one is mine, one I turned into a large office and the other is my project/guest room. Nice to start a big project and be able to just close the door on it at the end of the day instead of cleaning it all up only to drag it all out tomorrow Lol!
I have a several gardening areas and just put in some lettuce, radish, cabbage and peas. I have hardwood floors throughout. The living room is very homey with a fireplace and framed windows. The kitchen is good sized and laid out PERFECTLY and with all new appliances. I have a large covered front deck and a cute patio in the back. Best of all, this place has so many cabinets that I can't fill them all!

I want to decorate for Christmas this week and I am thinking of bribing DS to put up the lights with a spaghetti and meatball dinner. (men are SO easy...)

I am still catching up with everybody's posts so I'll finish up and check back later.

Tikanas

Dee~Did you check Bed, Bath & Beyond or Linens & Things? I'm sure that you can find something very nice. It sounds like things are coming together nicely for you. I've been collecting black & white things so that I can redo our wedding photos in black & white & put them in a scrapbook. I really like your ideas.

Tikanis~Your house sounds so nice & cozy. I'm thrilled that you were able to move. That is so wonderful.

NH Suzanne~Did it turn out as cold as you thought that it would? We talked to a friend in CT today & he said that it was 28 degrees & sleeting. Brrrrrrr.... I'm hot natured but that sounds too cold for me.

Well, enjoy...Patti :)

Is it too late to be peeking in? I actually had a busy Saturday, and now I'm supposed to be getting everything ready for my sister's arrival in the morning, but I'm here instead1 :)

I ate a very healthy breakfast of oatmeal, then had most-likely-high-carb chopped beef barbeque for lunch, along with dill pickles and jalepenos. I just ate the meat and left the bread sitting there on the plate though.

Dee, I'd love to see pics of that tub. Sounds fantastic!

Tikanas, your new home sounds so nice, and your happiness jumps off the page here.

Suzanne, sorry your weather was miserable. I hate to even tell you that it was in the mid-70's and humid as all get out here today.

Hey, Patti! Guess what I got just in time for having company tomorrow? a stupid cold!!!!!!!!! I did the Airborne from the get-go, but it wasn't enough. :(

Well, I hope everyone's day went well and tomorrow holds good things for everyone.

Good Sunday all,

Wow, everyone is really busy and getting lots done!

Patti, Milkdud, 28 degrees would have felt like a veritable heat wave yesterday! The temps dropped all day and stayed steady at 12 degrees with the wind howling. I would bet that the wind chill factor was well below zero yesterday.

While the wind howled I cleaned so I was very productive. I got my office paperwork squared away but very little cleaning! LOL I migrated to the big living room and cleaned and decorated. I even took the curtains down to wash and the minute all was down the electricity went out. I waited for 1/2 hour then started the generator. At the temps outside it would have gotten cold quickly so I started it. Glad I did because it was out for almost 3 hours.
Brrrrr

This morning the temps had only fallen to 10 degrees and now it's slowly climbed up to 18! We are expecting a major storm tonight and the the temps will get up into the high 20's.............heat wave! Enough of the weather. We New Englanders focus on this as it rules so much of our lives.

Today, more cleaning but I really feel like I am ahead of the holiday game! It's a good feeling.

Good Sunday Morning!

Dee - I love the idea of the black and white photos. But as soon as you said that, I pictured a black and white photo with a pop of color. Like the towel or a single item in each picture that was left in color. I have seen photos done this way in Photo Shop and they are so striking. Maybe Kinkos or some place like that could help you. Can't wait to see pictures.

NHSuzanne - I feel cold just reading about your weather. We had freezing rain last night and I was so glad I had finished the outside decorations yesterday. DH was scraping off his side mirror after work yesterday and the whole mirror came off in his hands!

Patti - You must be getting excited about your upcoming trip. Sounds like you have lots planned. Someday I would like to spend Christmas in Florida with DS and have DD come there. But as long as we have family in PA, I wouldn't even consider that.

Tikanas - Your new house sounds wonderful! Congratulations!

Milkdud - My DD (in Lafayetee, LA) was outside on her lunch hour the other day and called me. She said it was a beautiful 65 degrees, but everyone else in her office thought it was SO cold! LOL I guess it is all what you get used to.

Donna - Good luck on your weigh-in this week. I am determined to maintain over the holidays, but I think that may be harder than actually losing the weight!

Besh - Check in! Any word on the job (or lack of a job)?

BJ - Come out, come out, where ever you are!

Maddie - Has the job situation eased up any? Hope you are feeling better about everything these days.

I heard from Joanne a few weeks ago and I was hoping she would stop by. She did say she was keeping busy and getting used to not having to care for her Mother. I think it has been a hard year for her. She also said to say HI! to everyone.

We bought a new tree last year and never took it out of the box until Friday night. The bottom section was all bent out of shape and the branches wouldn't lay right. Luckily the store (Ace Hardware) took it back and even gave us our money back since we couldn't find anything we liked to get in exchange. We were lucky and found a nice tree at Big Lots (of all places) and I just finished decorating it. It is not my dream tree but I decided that there were more important things to stress about than a tree. LOL Seriously, I do get overwhelmed when I upack all my Christmas stuff that I have collected over the years. I hang onto too much sentimental stuff, get too much stuff from my preschoolers, and have bought too much stuff. It all adds up to TOO MUCH STUFF! I am trying really hard to just let go, but I may need therapy later because of it. (Just kidding) I have been setting aside some stuff for DD and the rest is going to Good Will.

Anyway, I need to finish the decorating, finish the laundry and start some sauce (or red "gravy" as Dee called it), so I had better get off this computer and get busy.

Hi to anyone I missed.

Later,
Marci

Hi All,
I made "red gravy" today too! I think it is the cold weather that brings out the cook in me.

Had a busy weekend. Today is DH and mine 29th anniversary. We had a wonderful day yesterday. I did some errands in the morning and then DH and I went off to do some things and ended up buying a 40" HD flat screen TV. We decided to do that for our anniversary and Christmas and probably birthdays too! We really don't need anything and this is something that we will both enjoy. Then we went to our favorite bakery and picked up some 3,000 point goodies! DH cooked me a nice dinner last night. A very nice anniversary weekend. Today I am back to reality and cooking and laundry.

Still no word on my job situation. I have started to look at other job possibilites but I have not got serious about it yet. I am kind of waiting it out and see what happens.

I just skimmed the posts so I don't know alot of what is going on, but it is nice to see some faces that have not been around much. Enjoy the rest of the evening. We are supposed to get some kind of storm here tonight. :-(

oxoxBesh