mdrai

Judy!! Al Roker said it was snowing in "Alpena, Michigan" this morning & showed it on the map and I said out loud: "Hi Judy!" Didja hear me?

Good Morn, Vi's~~ Am going to start Xmas shopping today... Target & Kohl's are on the list... am trying to use only cash, so need to do this in fits & spurts when I get a check, which come in fits & spurts (that's the worst thing about freelancing, the irregular pay)... I may place some online orders as well, so they have time to get here (altho it's really not the holiday season if I'm not waiting for something to arrive at the last minute -- it adds that extra special panic-y feeling to the festivities, lol!) Between that and an orthodontist appointment for ds & dd's last evening "Annie" rehearsal, + some PTA duties, will keep me out of trouble today. Make it a great one!

Are you kidding me, Laura? Don't apologize to me for your language... IMHO it's not strong enough!! I think you're beyond worrying about anybody's feelings... your BIL sold your sis drugs & now she's using again... you are pregnant and will be bringing a precious new life into the world... your priority is to call a spade a spade & let them know this is NOT ok and then keep them the hell away from your babe. How do you live with the drama? -- Just stop playing along! I know you can do it, Laura... you're not wishy washy... you often sound like the ONLY one in EITHER family with a brain!! Use it, girl!! Sorry for the rant, but it's just MHO... I have no patience or tolerance for such nonsense...

Yay Pam's back... all is right w/the world.

"globule" and "gullet"... 2 words you don't see everyday! Judy, love the pics of your winter wonderland... at first I thought you shot them in B&W, but then realized that's just how it all looks up there! Sorry about your tree... but glad to be there for the changing of the flag! Terri: yes. A boring day here... yes, that's what I said... boring... even snuck in about an hour's nap... shhhh, don't tell anyone!

I promise it wasn't a cryptic message for you, TracyK... it just cracked me up! + I thought it was a good visual for me to remember the next time I'm faced w/cake!! Today is "clean up from Thanksgiving weekend" day... I know, you're all envious of my exciting life!! Make it a good one, Vi's!!

someone stop me before I post again! G'night!

more funnies...

Here's a pic from our Thanksgiving... MIL insisted that we wear the antlers, which is why ds looks so happy, I think... + note the little ones clutching the wine bottles... lol...

Oooooh I just noticed that it says "Thread Starter" under my pic... hee hee hee... for some reason that cracks me up!

Yikes I feel like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, running all about muttering to myself about being late... Too much going on still... Ever have one of those days where everything you cook/bake bombs?? That was me today... both ovens are smoking like crazy as I'm trying to cook meatloaves for dinner... baked a pumpkin cheesecake to give to a neighbor who just lost her mom & it cracked & looks like !@#$ so now I'm going to have to do something else... I did make a mean pot of chicken soup w/the carcass... Tomorrow is a new week... once I get cleaned up & re-organized from the LAST one, I'll be ok!! Not one Xmas item up or purchased or wrapped here... Ugh!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving, Violets~~ Wow -- yesterday flew by me and I never had a chance to pop on & tell you all how thankful I am to have each of you in my life!!! I love you all!!! BIL & family arrived @ 9am yesterday... had a huge b'fast; then started to cook dinner... I can't remember the last time I cooked a turkey, so I was a bit nervous... didn't want it to be all dry & nasty... and happily, it came out PERFECTLY... soo golden brown & juice just dripping off w/each slice... + all the regular stuff... green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed taters, pumpkin bread, crescent rolls, gravy, stuffing, etc & so forth. I didn't pb on anything, but ate much less than in the old days... much, much less! My sil was in charge of pies, which you know I LOVE my baking, so it was kind of a big deal for me to let that go, but I did... well, she bought them from some gal who makes them... and they were HORRIBLE! Seriously! How do you mess up pie? The pumpkin was tasteless & the apple was mush. Oh well, serves me right, I shouldn't be eating that crap anyway!! So they're all still here, too!! So off to make b'fast & then figure out what we're going to do today... probably Madagascar 2 w/the kids... the cats will like that, as the 2-yo keeps chasing them around saying, "Kitty!"... my cats aren't used to that!! Will check back later!!

Thanks for joining me, ladies! Grab a beverage of your choice & some snacks & let's settle in for a long chat... oh wait, that was in Gruene!! Silly me! Ah well, it works here, too!! :grouphug:

One last check-in before bed... and I see that this will be post #10250 (original one + 10248 others)... sooooooooooooooo... I am going to be bold & daring & as a Thanksgiving Day gift to all of us... I'm going to start "Shrinkin Violets Part 3 Read Here!" Hope you all come along with me!!!

Good Eve, Vi's~~ Judy you crack me up!! In-laws arrived around Noon... seems like all I've done since is feed folks!... made a big pot of chili for dinner... made 3 pumpkin breads, a coffee cake for tomorrow morning, the homemade granola (got the wheat germ), molasses sugar cookies, and after I get the rest of the dinner dishes cleaned up, will boil & mash the sweet potatoes for the sp casserole... will save the rest of the cooking for tomorrow! My bil & family will be arriving around 9am tomorrow morning! :crying: Happily, my in-laws brought a cooler full of REAL bagels, lox, cream cheese, & we'll feast on that w/lettuce, tomatoes, red onions & capers... yum yum yum! + the coffee cake & whatever else anyone wants... eggs, cereal, whatever... Off to flip the laundry & get the taters boiling! Make it a great eve, dearies!

TracyKS... Hope the house is still standing when you return!! Sounds like you're easing him into the meds reasonably... yay you!!

You beat me to it, Judy!! I was gonna "boobie nanner" TracyK, too!! WHEAT GERM!!! Can you believe I've spent more than $300 on groceries this week -- including going back out this a.m. to get a couple last-minute items -- and now I'm in the middle of mixing up a batch of my mom's world-famous homemade granola (omg it is sooooo good!) and I am out of wheat germ!! Guess where I'm headed...

Yes, Terri, I am just really crazy!! I know it & work with it... fighting it just doesn't work! Today is less hectic... really! A little last-minute cleaning, a little baking, laundry, make the chili for tonight's dinner... & voila! Now TOMORROW will be all-day in the kitchen... but that's what it's all about! Oh, and the parade! -- I love the T'day Parade AND the Rose Parade!! Make it a great day, everyone!!

Phew! Went to 2 grocery stores... got to the first one @ Noon and didn't get home 'til 2:30pm!! :thumbup: My cart... yikes, I should've taken a pic w/my phone!!... it was soooo full... I'm sure it won't surprise ya'll that I am *very* organized w/my cart & I managed to get almost $300 worth of food into it... items were balancing on the bottom and off the sides... too funny!... happily I had $60 in savings + coupons... then the bagger had to use 2 carts so that was interesting getting out to the car... then get it all into the car... then drive home... the lug it all into the house... then put it all away... now I have to cook/bake/serve it all! UGH! There has to be a better way to do all this!! I got a 21-lb fresh turkey, & it's in the bottom of the 'frig... Now I have to go eat something... then I will move upstairs & start washing sheets & towels, etc... & work on the kids' rooms (everyone will be shuffled around once our 6 guests arrive tomorrow & Thurs)... then it's down to unearth the living room/dining room area... I've got the PTA coupon book fundraiser headquartered on our dining room table, so that will be nothing but fun, fun, fun!! And remember that yard sale I did?? Well guess where all the boxes of un-sold stuff ended up? Yep, in the living room. I know you are all jealous of my fun life. The only one of us having MORE fun than me is JUDY -- shovelling snow! Will check back when I need a physical labor break!... Oh ps... TracyKS I was thinking of you in the middle of the country literally sending out all your "flying monkeys" to all of us... cackling like the WWotW... I've got a vivid imagination!

Raise your hand if Pammy forgot you... But it's OK!! I dash in & out of here so quickly, I bet I'm just a blur!!!!!!!!!!! Is it a bird, a plane? No! It's Michelle! Today is Thanksgiving Grocery Shopping Day... I have been putting this off for about a week now and we are out of or almost out of EVERYTHING so it's going to be one of those "walk up & down each aisle and just put it all into the cart" type of shoppings... + all the extra stuff for the Big Day + 3 days of having guests here... phew! THEN it's Thanksgiving Cleaning the House Day... 'nuff said. THEN... well, then I'll collapse! Make it a great one, Vi's!

It's just what I needed today! Am driving the cats nuts w/it!! Soooo much fun! You're a sweetie pie & so thoughtful!! YOU MAKE ME SMILE!! flying monkeys... heh heh heh... ok, back to work!! I have just 20 mins to get through 14 pages... HA HA HA HA HA!! Then I have to FLY (!) to the Fed Ex drop off by 6!!! "Fly monkeys, Fly!!"

I really should be working!!!

"I got mine, my pretty... & my little cat liked it, too!" :thumbup:

Good Morn, vi's~~ Busy, busy, busy today finishing up an editing job. Then a meeting @ school & HOPEFULLY FINALLY Turkey Day grocery shopping! Tomorrow will be "super duper clean the house day" -- always fun, not! Then Weds the in-laws arrive! I'm also coordinating meals for my neighbor w/liver failure from her cancer who has mere moments to live... I pop over there a couple times a day and do whatever needs doing... dishes, put food away, tidy up... even tho there are gobs of people visiting them, no one ever seems to do these tasks, so I just do it... Who me? Take the initiative?? So if I'm not on much this week... now you know why & won't feel compelled to send out the flying monkeys!! Quick band-related question: Does reflux harm the band or cause erosion or anything?? My prescription for reflux/heartburn meds expired a couple weeks ago & dh didn't renew it (online) 'til the other day so it'll probably be another week or so and I HURT!! Water makes me hurt! It's not the "choke on it" reflux, but just the tight, burning feeling ALL THE TIME and it occurred to me that this might be bad. So I remembered that dh takes some too (diff. brand) so I popped one of his today. I get some worry like this in my head & I can't get rid of it... Make it a great day... smooches!