Monique, The calcium water is no big deal. You mix what they tell you in a little jar. Store the rest in the fridge. The only thing with the Pomona's is that is it hard to dissolve, so I blend one cup of juice with the pectin, then add to the fruit or juice. I tried adding it to the Splenda like they said, but it was really lumpy. I had to take the immersion blender and blend the pot of jelly. Then, I had a lot of foam. I used 4 cups plum juice, the Pomona's dissolved in one cup boiling apple juice (no sugar), calcium water, and 2 cups Splenda. It is wonderful tasting ! I think that stuff will gel anything in the world, too. I am glad you are thinking about taking care of yourself now. I was like that at first, and now am diabetic. It isn't that bad, but it is just a bother because I have to plan my life around eating times, and have to eat certain amounts of certain foods. You really have to be disciplined. You do the same exact things for being prediabetic, if you take care of yourself as you should. Best wishes to you.

Whew! I'm back! Got in late Monday night, and had to drive home from MEM to where we live in MS, adding another 3 hrs to the trip home. Now its back to crazy at work. I leave before daylight and get home after dark, so I haven't seen my plants or flowerbeds in the daylight since Nov. 17. Have to go out by flashlight to ask the plants what happened while we were gone. LOL It was a great visit with family and friends in AZ, as usual. Its always fun out there. Went to one of my favorite places to visit in Tucson: the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum. If any of you ever make it out to Tucson, it is not to be missed! I suspect that Dianne's package was waiting for me when we got home Monday, but did not make it to the mailbox until Tuesday. She sent so much great stuff! I think we are 2 peas in a pod when it comes to reading material :) She sent: Country Living magazine - American Autumn issue from Nov. 1998 a vanilla scented bath fizzer - ahhhhhhhhhhhh! A whole pile of coupons - I'm a major coupon lover! So many recipes she clipped. These are so great! Crystal Light Mojito drink mix - looking forward to trying this. It's a new flavor for us. A lovely friendship card with an aster on it And WOW, Look at the seeds: Jackson Wonder lima beans Taylor cranberry bean Spaghetti squash Am. Persimmon Nasturtium Scarlet Gleam Nasturtium Cherry Rose (dwarf) Nasturtium Dwarf Alaska Sunflower Mammoth Russian Brown & Yellow sunflower Scuppernog (white) grape seeds Asclepias syriaca Rudbeckia mix bronze/orange/yellow Dianne, thank you so much for such a wonderful and generous package! And Jeanne, thanks so much for hosting. BTW, how is the horse search going? Both my husband and I grew up with horses in our lives. Both of our parents still have horses, although they have both had losses this year. Last month his parents lost one of their favorites, a 29 yr old, much loved and prized champion Morgan stallion. My father still has the QH mare I used to barrel race on. She is almost 33! Katie

Good Friday morning! Raeanne, bon voyage. I am so glad you got that package in time LOL! Have fun. John, see the effect you have on women! Sounds like you were the perfect gentleman. Good luck sleuthing, I mean babysitting! Hopefully they pay more for babysitting than .50 an hour that I was paid years ago. LOL Maddie, I am still trying to figure out how I can pull NYC off in December. I am in on the exchange too. Besh, have you given any thought to NYC? Good job on Dee's package BJ! Have fun at your planning party tonight. Planning is the key. Dee, enjoy all those lovely gifts! What a fun package to receive. Speaking of planning I have my carriage club's planning meeting tomorrow night. This is where we plan all the events for 2008. It's a pot luck (ugh) but I plan on being prepared for good eating with what I bring. I have to get a photo of this but will share so you can imagine what I am seeing: About 2 miles from my house is a lovely farm with big fields on both sides of the road and a lovely antique colonial home. The fields host flocks of sheep all summer and fall. On my way home Halloween evening someone had delivered to both fields huge piles of pumpkins for the sheep to eat. So I am driving along taking this all in. The sheep, some with black faces, eating from these huge piles of pumpkin, the setting sun filtering through the trees giving off this warm cast of oranges and golds through the leaves and a old man (presumably grandfather) standing next to this tow headed boy who is petting one of the sheep through the fence. It was all too beautiful. I will try to get a photo of the sheep and pumpkins but I doubt I the camera will ever be able to capture what is in my mind's eye. I hope you can imagine it.

PRUNE PUREE Fat Replacement for Baking Combine 1-1/3 c. (8 oz.) pitted prunes and 6 T. of hot water in food processor or blender. Pluse on and off until prunes are finely chopped and smooth. Store leftovers in a covered container and refrigerate for up to 2 months.