mdrai

I'm emotional today, too, Pam. I dunno why. Not sad... more of just sensitive, feeling things deeply. I was listening to the local, annual "Christmas Cash for Kids" drive on the local news radio station as I was driving around this morning (it's been going on all week) and I burst into tears at one of the stories of a guy who's unemployed & can't make ends meet who donated his last $1 earlier in the week... it was so touching... I'd pledged earlier in the week & stopped by the station to drop it off and it's just so amazing the energy of so many folks coming together to help kids. Cue the waterworks! I'm home now, working on a few things... dh took a sick day today and I didn't know why 'til about 20 mins ago... the World Cup Draw is today! 3-hour hoop-la & he's glued to the set. Have I ever mentioned how soccer-crazy my guys are? :wink2:

Good Friday Morn, Vi's~~ Had a good day yesterday... met a friend for coffee in the a.m., did some Xmas shopping, then my Mom came up for ds's concert & spent the night. The concert was AMAZING! I can hardly express my pride for ds for this accomplishment... from back in September @ 14 when he walked into a room full of adult, experienced jazz musicians, sat down, took out his sax, and played with them... that he was good enough that they kept him in the group... everything he has learned from them, the stories they tell, the life lessons he's learned as well... to last night, when he solo'd in front of a packed crowd and did great -- and then at the end of the piece the leader called him up front and introduced him & his age, and spoke such kind words about him and his talent... wow... my heart bursts in happiness for him... As I type this, I'm sitting @ the car dealership getting an oil change... I'm the worst @ car maintenance... I think I'm 6,000 miles overdue!... so here I am. I'm balancing my laptop on, well, my lap... awkward, but it'll do. My Christmas tree arrived yesterday! But the box is too heavy, so DH & I will do the "re-arrange the family room / set up the tree" dance this eve... can't wait to see it in action! There's a switch to flip the lights between white/multi/both... Then we'll watch holiday shows & deck the halls this weekend... coco and cookies... & then it'll really start feeling like the holidays! Make it a great day, everyone!

Argh, Judy... how frustrating! I'm sorry that the situation still isn't resolved for you. BUT... love the sassy 'do! :sad: Am so tired this a.m... a second night of not getting to bed 'til after midnight... ds's jazz band has its big concert tonight, so last night they practiced from 7 'til after 11pm! I snuck into the auditorium when I went to pick him up and they really sound so good... I'm so impressed w/ds for playing in the college group w/all adults and even several professional jazz musicians! Tonight should be great... albeit long... Make it a good one, ladies!

Judy, I want to see a pic of you w/the spiky hair! (and don't say there's one on Facecrack!) Fingers crossed for the church meeting tonight! 1/2 way through my work & I'm cross-eyed checking all these corrections & Tables of Contents! Ack!

Yes! Surprise us, Haydee! :tongue2: Is it Weds already... zip zip... the weeks fly by! Work work work today... Down another lb... yay! Amazing what following the rules will do, huh? Everyone make it a great day!

Poor Ayla... poor Mommy! ~~ Seasonal funny:

Cyber Monday's over, yet I'm still shopping! :smile: I figure if they're going to ship stuff to me for free, it saves my time & hassle running all over town... I've purchased a bedside table for dd, a "gamer" chair for ds, shoes, cool lunchboxes, a stadium seat (for my sis for when she comes to ds's soccer games... those metal bleachers are hard!), and the biggest ticket item was an entire pre-lit (white AND multicolor) 7'5" Christmas tree (I got 32% off + free shipping)! Other gifts will be tennis lessons for ds, continued horse leasing for dd, a bike trainer for dh (so he can ride inside during the winter), and maybe one of those outside fire pit thingies + fire wood for dh... The January trip to Mexico is supposed to be our "big" gift... I keep reminding the kids that this isn't going to be a "laptop/i-touch/cell phone" Christmas like last year!

Oh dear, Haydee... I hope that renting the Bubbleator for us wasn't the budget-buster! :smile: Here are some ideas: DJ: Judy can sing Linens: we can all bring a tablecloth & we promise we won't spill so no need for napkins Liquor: Janie can make big bowls of margi's! Doesn't Laura still have enough liquor at her house to drown a crowd? Catering: Food! How about one of those crock pot pepper roasts & a few sopapilla cheesecakes? Voila! :tongue:

Fabulous pics, Pam... sparkly santa hats w/palm trees & all! You're taunting me w/the palm trees... and your smiling faces! You two look great! I got the kids off to school then conked out on the couch for 2 hours! :smile: Bad mommy! I've got to clean & zip out to the grocery store before Fed Ex gets here... once my work package arrives, I have to work, work, work like the wind! Yesterday was a great food day for me -- finally! I can't believe how much I've gained. I found my highest & lowest weights and I'm somewhere in between... I really do want to be done w/this... now if I could only remember that when faced with food! Maybe I should get a fill? Remember I had that emergency un-fill before I went to Cali? I don't want it to be too tight again... but I barely know it's there as it is... decisions, decisions... Make it a great day everyone! December is here! I can't believe it!!

Anyone else "Cyber Monday" shopping w/me?? Cha-ching!

Sounds heavenly, Pam! (The mountain and your day yesterday!) Chapters are done & returned. Phew!

I'd recognize that eye anywhere! Hi Tracy! Sounds like you're in the game... kutgw! Snoring? Moi? (oh yeah, you roomed w/me... he he he...) It's Monday! Back to work! Bleh. The rush is really on now... can you believe that I'm just finishing up some chapters that they're trying to have published by the end of the year? Wowza! & tomorrow I'm getting final proofs that I need to try to turn around in 1 day! Let the fun begin! I'm try try trying to eat properly & move a bit today, too. Just today. Cross your fingers! Smooches!

Do you think she means Sopapilla Cheesecake? :confused: :tt2:

Good Sunday Morn, Vi's~~ Slowly getting the house back together... key word is "slowly"... time enough to rush coming up in the month ahead! Speaking of which... I dared to peek ahead to our Dec calendar... :confused: Lots to do and & just 3.5 weeks to do it in! And so it goes... Somehow I GAINED 5 lbs in Nov... well, I know HOW... ugh. Sigh. "If at first you don't succeed..." or second... or third... or fourth... "Hope springs eternal!" My mottos.

I've always known that Sus was a Vi @ heart! Purple computers... :Yawn:

Good Morning, Vi's~~ ((Judy))... I'm with you in spirit today. ~~ Stayed in bed 'til 9am this morning! :sad: That almost never happens! Still in pj's. All our guests have left to try to beat traffic... it's quiet here! Lots of cleaning up to do... but no rush, which is nice. I'm moving so slowly... a week of cramming everything in has taken its toll on me! I feel like one of the Macy's Parade balloons! :Yawn: Must. climb. back. onto. wagon. Enjoy your days!

Happy Leftovers Day! Whew! Still have a house full... did the full-on huge lox/bagels/cream cheese & all the fixins breakfast and by the time that was cleaned up it was time for lunch -- open-faced hot turkey sandwiches w/all the fixins... I've got the crocker full of veggie beef soup but no one's hungry yet... finally!! It's been a nice time w/dh's family. Everyone leaves tomorrow and then I'll re-clean the house & start thinking Christmas. Oh, and getting back on the wagon. Oh my. Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend... I keep thinking that today is Saturday! Smooches!

First moment I've had to sit down all day! Happy Thanksgiving, Violets! I am thankful for the true friendship and caring that we share. Peace be with each of you and your families today. Pam, enjoy the meds & take it easy...

Good eve, Violettas... Ok, 2 vodka fuzes and I'm typing tipsy, I admit it! I baked a batch of molasses cookies, 4 pies, 6 pumpkin breads, 24 pumpkin cheesecake muffins, sweetpotato casserole, egg/sausage casserole & monkey bread. Phew. No wonder I'm fat! I love Thanksgiving! Good night. Sweet dreams.

Ahhhhh Pam... you sound so relaxed & laid back... I'll be thinking of you during your lipo!... mmm mmm margies!!! I've got the Fr apple pie in the oven so will sit & work while it bakes... then it's off to the horse show... Dinner out after... then back home for more baking... altho I think I'll enjoy some wine or vodka fuze while I bake this eve!! And so it goes...

Your day sounds like mine, Laura... I woke up & started baking! IToday I need to make: molasses sugar cookies, French apple pie, pumpkin roll, caramel pecan, coconut cream pie, 6 pumpkin breads & 2 dozen pumpkin/cream cheese muffins (for the horse show today, oh yeah, I have time to go to a horse show... :ohmy:). Tomorrow I'll do the green bean cassarole, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed pots, gravy and oh yeah, the turkey! I've already done the muffins & 3 pump breads... I *thought* the cookies, too, but they're a mess because I put in twice as much butter as I was supposed to & caught the mistake too late (when the cookie sheet came out of the oven w/1 big cookie all oozed together on the pan). But it tastes great -- I crumbled it up & put it all in a zip bag to use as crumbles on top of ice cream! When life hands you molasses sugar cookie goo, make topping! I'm taking a break now... I need to SLOW down when I re-enter the kitchen!! My editor sent me 2 "urgent" chapters, as well this morning! WTF? Hope you're all doing well in your kitchens!!

Phew! Just got back from a 3-hr start-to-finish grocery shopping expidition!! :redface: I *saved* more than $120, if that gives you a hint of what it cost me to end up w/2 carts rolling out to my car at the end of it!! Then I got to pile it into the car, lug it into the house, & put it all away (not to mention COOK it all over the next few days!)!! Then ds came home from school, saw all the yummies in the pantry & 'frig, and said, "But what is there that I can eat NOW?" :ohmy: The answer, of course, was "Nothing!" :confused:

Good Morn, Vi's~~ Another day of cleaning AND for even more added fun I'm going to go do the big Turkey Day grocery shopping! I know, I know... such the glamorous life! Make it a great day, every one!

Great pic, Laura! What funny Santa stories!! What a day! I've been cleaning like a fiend (& dh has actually helped as well... must be a Thanksgiving miracle, lol!)... but we'll be all set for decorating over the weekend, that's for sure! I opened the hall closet just now and it was exactly like Fred Flintstone's closet... stuff came tumbling out all over... so I just tore it all apart, threw out a ton of stuff, "found" a bunch of items I forgot we even had!, and organized the rest. Huge dust bunnies were floating in the air... it was so bad that it was funny! I finished the Kthy Griffin book... it was ok... after awhile the stories started sounding a bit repetitive, but the boys were watching both football AND the MLS finals last night, so I was relegated to my room so I just finished it. She's wacky, that's for sure! Ok... off to chillax and then bed... more cleaning AND TG grocery shopping tomorrow -- oh joy! Peace, girlies!

A friend just sent me this... :biggrin: THE GOOD NAPKINS The joys of having girls. My mother taught me to read when I was four years old (her first mistake). One day, I was in the bathroom and noticed one of the cabinet doors was ajar. I read the box in the cabinet. I then asked my mother why she was keeping "napkins" in the bathroom. Didn't they belong in the kitchen? Not wanting to burden me with unnecessary facts, she told me that those were for 'special occasions' (her second mistake). Now fast forward a few months....It's Thanksgiving Day, and my folks are leaving to pick up my uncle and his wife for dinner. Mom had assignments for all of us while they were gone. Mine was to set the table. When they returned, my uncle came in first and immediately burst into laughter. Next came his wife who gasped, then began giggling. Next came my father, who roared with laughter. Then came Mom, who almost died of embarrassment when she saw each place setting on the table with a 'special occasion' Kotex napkin at each plate, with the fork carefully arranged on top. I had even tucked the little tail in so they didn't hang off the edge!! My mother asked me why I used these and, of course, my response sent the other adults into further fits of laughter.. 'But, Mom, you said they were for special occasions!!!' Pass this on to your girlfriends who need a good laugh or anyone who has a daughter! Life is too short for drama & petty things, so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly....and for heavens sake, use the good napkins whenever you can!