Pot Bellied Stove / Water Cooler
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Here the bed is all finished with it's paint and clear coat in the first picture. I made extra covers for both top and bottom cushions. I resized the pictures as small as I could get them before I posted them, and that's a good thing, we are still scrolling since this went to the next page, lol.
Here the bed is with the Christmas cover on the back cushion, what you can't see is the sparkles in the material on the back cushion.
Here the bed is from the front with the cute dog bone shaped chalkboard sign, the multi colored blanket in front of her is her blanket she already had. The yellow
and green blankets on each side of her are the ones I made for the dogs. Arthur is not in the pictures, lol. Millie weighs just two and one half pounds.
Here the bed is from the side and if you look to the right you can see the other covers I made for it but the covers are folded up so you can't really see them very well, lol.
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Oh, those are so cute. You bumped us over to the new page, but no problem, it all fits and I don't have to scroll.
Talked to my sister again and all survived the day, they are playing Rummikub. See you in the morning.0 -
What a day. With Alan gone, Ralph is doing all the chores so it was after 10 before we headed for town. He aired up the tire but did not get it fixed cause Walmart said it would be hours and they were the only place open. So we are checking it when we go somewhere.
I got my stuff and checked out. Not sure what happened but the cashier had to imput the whole receipt. Glad I hadn't gotten any more. We had Julie meet us for lunch. She had mentioned making guest lists the other night so wanted to know when they were thinking and it looks like it will be a spring wedding - so not too far away. They had a date but I realized a conflict so... Went to Dillons and the rain came. Got home and unloaded what stayed home and loaded the other stuff or the church. My sister arrived from western Kansas and went to the church to help me unload there which was nice. Then, because my niece decided not to come because of bad fog, my sister went to my sister's to stay since we had somewhere to go tonight.
Tonight was the Claassen cousin Christmas - about 100 there. Good food and good visiting. The rain had stopped when it was time to come home but there a bad snow warning out for the night. Alan and family got home. My sister said they drove through some bad sleet and slid off the road but Alan got them back on the road so I'm thankful they are home safely.
So we'll go to bed and see what the morning brings.
Sheryl, you chili sounds good. Any meal can be festive. Sheryl, I'd like to see a picture of your firewood. I like shopping for what someone wants but I'm not a fan of gift registries - usually I have trouble finding the right item. I do like the concept and they have come a long way since Lori got married (16 years). She had a handwritten one at Wal-mart.
So glad you found a dress. It sounds beautiful. We'd love a picture of you all dressed up. Yikes, I'll have to do dress shopping. Hadn't thought of that yet.
I want a cinnamon roll.
Glad your mother is moving slowly but will she be ready to be on her own Monday. Although it's amazing what a difference a day can make. The higher stool is great.
Marcie, how are you feeling today?
Isabella, glad your ankle is doing better. Your Christmas day sounds relaxful.
Goodby for now.0 -
Good Morning. Not much to say since I was here all day yesterday.
My nephews and their family will be arriving at my sister's house at 1 pm today for their family Christmas. Nice that my Mom is already there, and Simon is there too. It will be a really nice family Christmas for Norma. Beth is due in January, but since they already know the baby is a boy and his name will be Hudson, it's like he's there too, probably will even get a few gifts. Jackson got a bike this year, boy, they grow up so fast. Norma had a hard time deciding what to give Simon. Wanted something nice, but not too, too personal. She's trying to slow things down a bit. She's in love, but doesn't want to totally change her life for him. She is extremely independent and he wants her to totally depend on him. What a dilemma.
I think Mom is doing very well and will be able to sleep in her own bed tonight. Norma leaves for work early in the morning and plans to take Mom home, to her own apartment, tonight. We'll see how the day goes. Norma decided to skip church this morning, she knew that Mom wasn't up to going to church.
I'll most likely be hanging around all day. I see more sports on tv and that will keep John off the computer for awhile.
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Good Morning. Had a rough day yesterday with John, everything seemed to bug him, and I mean everything. Sometimes, it's just that way, nothing goes right. I trust today will be better.
I didn't check in on Norma and Mom at all yesterday, but I assume they had a wonderful Christmas together. I'll find out today.
The news says that Portland has snow, some of the roads in the West Hills are closed. They always have trouble on those roads, I rarely go over there, they are terrible roads even in good weather. Way too much traffic for narrow, winding roads. We don't have any snow here.
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Hi everyone.
Back to the grindstone at work. That weekend flew by so quickly. I'll have another 3-day weekend this weekend as our office will be closed on January 1st.
We got some rain overnight. Everything was wet when we got up. It had finished by the time I hit the road, so that was good.
Yesterday Cisco dragged his blanket out of his dog bed and started attacking it. It was so weird. I just couldn't figure out what he had against his blankie. Finally I took it away from him and shook it out, and his favorite squeaky ball had been wrapped up in it. He must have buried it in there and decided it was time get it. He probably has stuff stashed all over the house, and knows exactly where everything is! I know he has stashes out in the back yard. Mostly treats we've given him that he didn't think warranted immediate consumption. Ha!
I took too long of a nap yesterday afternoon and it just threw my sleep pattern all outta whack last night. I went to bed around 9 pm, then woke up at 11 pm and could not get back to sleep. Tossed and turned until about 3 am and then just got up. I should be dead tired by now, but for reason I'm not.
My tail bone is still smarting, especially when I'm sitting or when I turn over in bed. Doesn’t hurt so much when I'm standing and walking. I wished I could kick myself for taking that fall, but knowing me I'd just wind up spraining my foot! I guess I should be grateful nothing was broken.
Yep, it looks like I'm experiencing the scrolling problem on my computer at work with pages that have a pic posted. I don't have the problem when I'm using Safari on my Ipad. The MFP Admin staff say they are working on the problem. The problem is that when they fix one problem, they create another. This has been going on for a year now. Lots of people are complaining about all the various issues.
Until they get it fixed, what we may want to do if we want to post a picture is just start a new post and link to it. There will probably be a scrolling issue in the new post, but at least it won't mess up the Pot Bellied Stove post. Or we can all just use this "Photos" post I just added.
Sheryl, I hope John is doing better today and you are both having a great day. That sounds wise of Norma to slow it down a bit. Your chili sounded yummy. Comfort food on a cold winters day always works for me. Glad your Mom is healing up. My Grandpa used a toilet seat riser with handles in his later years. The only problem was he glued it down onto the toilet, so when company came to their house they had to deal with the riser, and they only had the one bathroom. I remember going to visit them once in the early 90's, and I couldn't use it (not at my weight). I ate very little when I was there, and when I did need to go, I got in the car drove to the little store down the road. Ha!
Debora, that's some weather you've been having! Glad Alan and family got home safely. You're Claassen cousin Christmas sounds like it was fun. You are so fortunate to have such a large and wonderful family. I hope you are able to get that tire fixed soon.
Anew, that doggie bed (and the doggie) are just so cute! You are so talented.
Isabella, it sounds like you had a nice relaxing Christmas Day with hubby. I enjoy both of the movies you watched. I've watched Groundhog Day so many times over the years, I could probably play it back in my head. I hope you ankle is healing up well!
Ok, I guess I'd better get back to work. Have a nice evening everyone.
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Good Morning. I talked to my sister yesterday morning and Mom in the afternoon. They both relayed just about the same events for the weekend. Very nice Christmas together. Mom is doing very well and getting around, just taking it slow. When Norma took Mom back to her apartment Sunday night, Mom exclaimed "it's good to be home". Yay, she's settled in enough to call it home. Norma was so happy. When we got info about moving Mom and Dad, they told us that it takes about 6 months to adjust. It has now been 6 months since we moved Mom. They really know their stuff.
I go in for blood work today and plan to go buy the dress for the wedding. On the way, I drive right by 2 other dress shops, so maybe I'll drop in just to see what they have before making a final decision.
Marcie, thank you for putting in a new post just for photos. Why didn't I think of that?? I'll put my pictures over there just as soon as I transfer them from the camera into the computer. Love the photo of Cisco all curled up. Too funny that he "buried" his squeaky toy in his blankie. Glad that mystery was solved.
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Good morning everyone.
I'm splurging this morning and having a biscuit and gravy from the Grille at work. It sure is hitting the spot. I didn't eat much yesterday and woke famished this morning.
I wound up going to bed last night at 7 pm and slept through until 3 am. I even managed to go back to sleep for another 2 hours after that. I sure feel rested today.
It's cold out there this morning. When I left for work it was 29 degrees. Doubtful it we'll even make it to the 50s today. Dad put Cisco's coat on him this morning when they went for their 5:30 am walk. Most days Dad gets up at 4:30 am, walks the dog at 5:30 am, goes and eats breakfast at his favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant (they know him by name and what his usual order is), then gets his shopping done if he has any. He's usually home by 7:30 then he goes walking with his walking buddy at 8:00.
While he was out shopping the other day, Dad bought a new litter box scooper for me. It was a plastic box that you line with a bag and with a sifter and handle attached. The box has lid that is supposed to close after you scoop the used litter, trapping the litter, and then when you scoop again, the litter that's already in the box isn't supposed to come out. Big fail! As soon as I went to get the second scoop of used litter, the litter that was already in the box came pouring out all over me and on the floor. And then when I opened up the box to pull out the bag, the littler that was left in the box went everywhere. What a mess. Back to my tried and true litter box scooper!
I made a boo boo last night. I fixed my dinner (turkey, 1/2 a baked sweet potato, and some steamed green beans) and set it aside (unfortunately in reach of Cisco) to get something out in the garage. By the time I got back, he had eaten everything but the green beans (he doesn't do green beans). I had only myself to blame on that one! I still gave him the evil eye. Ha!
Sheryl, that so great that your Mom is doing better, and considers her apartment home now. Looking forward to seeing your pics.
Back to work. Have a wonderful day everyone.
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Hi everyone, thanks for the thumbs up on the dog bed. We are further along on my kitchen island with the drawer in but still needs a drawer front, I stained the tongue and groove boards for the bottom shelf and hubby put together the slatted shelf and needs to install it. After that's all done, everything will come back off so it can get a couple coats of paint and polycrylic to protect the paint. Then reinstall the drawer, top shelf and bottom shelf. Then the top needs to go on and we might have a change to the top design because I came across a 3/4" thick slab of black slate for $30 and it might work for my top. I can put hot pots and pans on it without burning it and it isn't affected by acids like lemon or tomatoes. It might just be what I need on that little island but it sure is heavy and I need to find a fabrication shop to cut it down to size and maybe do a little honing to the surface of it. It is so heavy that I can't move it at all and that is a concern for me since I need to be wheeling my little island all around the kitchen, and I'm not so sure the wheels we installed can handle that weight or not.
This thing is 18" wide by 42" long and I need it to be 18" wide by 33" long so it won't be losing much weight when it is cut down. The original posting for it said it was 18" by 24" and I thought it was perfect for the coffee bar(and still is if it's cut down to size) since coffee can etch surfaces with the acids in it, and it can handle anything a coffee bar can throw at it. It is also the exact size I needed for the top. When I went to take a look I said that can't be 24" long and I then realized the man transposed the numbers in the ad. He told me the piece came off an old antique piece of furniture like a buffet, and it looks like it would have because the edges are straight cuts. I'm calling a local granite shop tomorrow to see if they can give me an idea what they would charge to take care of it for me, if it's too expensive then we will use it outside for a table instead. A table that would never leave the backyard, or be moved around, lol. No way would I be moving that 25 to 33 pounds per square foot for 3/4" thickness, so that would make it as it sits that's 5 times the weight of 25 to 33 pounds. Whew!
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Good Morning. I blew it on the dress. Went back to buy it and it's gone. They have it in small sizes, but no longer in the larger. Today, I'll check the other Burlington store, if not there, then I have to start all over again looking for a dress. I'm bummed.
Not much else to say, my mind is dwelling on this dress. Guess I'll try back again later.0 -
Sunday we kept watching for coming storm. But it stayed long enough for us to have my side of the family get together. We met at our church after church. Each of the sisters brought a soup (3 chili, 1 stuffed pepper and one spaghetti (which was more spaghetti than soup). Then we had sandwich stuff, cheese, crackers, lots of desserts and drink. I never counted but we were around 40 there. Half of that was my family. We stood up by families to try and help my Uncle remember who is who. After we ate we had a time to remember Emily and Karl. They we did our food gift exchange - had some good steals and a fun time. Then my younger sister had a gift for all the grand nieces and nephews so we got them together for that. I had some other activities planned but everyone was ready to clean up and head home while the weather was still good. Julie's fiance showed up at the end after he got off work. I learned that he prefers to be called Matthew (but never corrects anyone) so we are all working on that - including Julie. We got home. Ralph went to chore and I unloaded the car - put away only what went in the fridge and left the rest for later.
Sunday night we got a little snow and enough ice to make staying home a smart idea although Ralph did take the country roads and get the tire we had been babying fixed. I enjoyed having the day at home and had plenty of things to do. Finally got the pile of mail all sorted and dealt with. I finished baking the rest of the peppernuts - tried a different tactic on my list worked pretty well so tried it again Tuesday. (I'm back) Used the same tactic and it's fairly good for when I'm at home most of the day. Last night was our church's annual meeting - had it all done in 2 1/2 hours - nice calm evening. I worked on crocheting headbands while I sat there - only got 3 done. Today I got some4-H papers ready to take in, cleared off the dining room table and other little things. We had leftover soup for dinner and I'm doing scrambled eggs with onions and peppers for supper. We got a light layer of snow and it only got up to 32. Hopeing there's no moisture tonight so I can do my errands tomorrow since a lot of places will be closed on Friday.
Monday Alan told me about a surprise present. Their old landlord called and said a box had been left at the house they lived in. No one has lived there since. The landlord (also a cousin) thought it might have been his till he found toys. It was an amazon box about 2x3 but no shipping label on it - had a bow and said Merry Christmas and had a lot of different stuff. A few of the things were matchbox cars, dish soap, duct tape, juice boxes, john deere dominos and lots of other stuff. It has been like 20 months since they moved so it's a total mystery.
Sheryl, glad Christmas went good at your sister's and your mom was glad to be back at her place. Hope things have been going better with John. You have developed a lot of patience to handle all you do. My sister sent her extra chili home with us so I've been enjoying that and giving Ralph the stuffed pepper soup. It all needs to be eaten.
Marcie, hope you week is going quickly. Any plans for the three day weekend? And will things be a little slower at work when you go back. You sit a lot at work - how is going with your tailbone? Yum on the biscuits and gravy. I usually get it once during our County Fair. Sorry the kitty litter thing created way more mess than help. I'm sure Cisco will be figuring how to make noises for you to check out so he can eat your food again. He's quick.
My sister brought fruitcake - which is actually more nuts - especially brazil nuts. Ralph doesn't like it but I do - a little too much. It won't be around long. Ralph like fruitcake with more fruit. He had one from Costco given him and I think he's getting ready to bake one of his own.
Anew, your creative juices are flowing again with your island and the black slate. Good to hear that the island is getting closer to done.
Sheryl, that is a bummer on the dress. Since you know what size you need, have you thought about looking at their store online?
Off to do my shopping list - want to go in the morning since one place I'm going closes early but not as early as I usually go.
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Good Morning, what a day yesterday...I HATE dress shopping. And, especially for formalwear that nobody stocks anymore. I went through the mall and hit every store I came across and they all said "check on-line". Christina emailed me a picture of a dress from Penney's web site, but it's only on-line, not in the store. Catherine's sales woman was very kind and looked on-line for me in the store, but the one dress that I liked, that looked like it would fit my figure, is "sold out", NATURALLY, that's the way it is for me. Did I mention that I HATE SHOPPING. Tuesday, when I got home, I did go on-line to Burlington, but my dress was not there. I even put in the sku and all the info from the tag, but "no results". I went back to Burlington to have them check their computer for the dress in any other store, but no luck. While I was there I took a photo of a smaller size just I could show you and my sister a picture of the dress. I should know better by now, I've gone through this before and should trust my instincts to buy what I like even if it's the first thing I see. I hesitated because I thought I might find something better and lost out. Last night, I checked on-line again and found a dress that I like, similar style, empire waist and hope and pray it fits, I ordered it and it should get here within a week via FedEx. That should give me enough time to reorder another size if I need to and return this one.
I did minimal grocery shopping yesterday, just enough for a couple meals and then I'll do a huge grocery shopping after the New Year. I need to stock up on everything.
I'm all done with the dentist, so now, the next big thing is the colonoscopy coming up. I have to stop taking the warfarin a week ahead of time.
We are super cold, 24 degrees this morning, but no rain yesterday and none in the forecast for 3-4 more days. Yay!
I forgot to have the faucets dripping over night, but lucked out, no frozen pipes in the house. The animal waters will be iced over, so I'll take a bucket of hot water out to thaw things out later. Nobody needs a drink this early anyway. I'm speaking for them, they really haven't told me that they don't drink early.
Marcie, too funny about the toilet seat riser at your grandpa's. Even though you mentioned that you were a little girl, I assume you were "too old" to have someone help you and lift you up. Poop on the messy cat litter, and yes, I meant the pun, poop. When we had cats, we used the old fashioned, plain scooper, I have never used any new-fangled scooper or gadget. They look too good to be true and from your story, that holds true.
I saw a funny thing on FB about a broken tail bone. I think it was from a friend of Christina's. I'll try to post that over on photos too.
I will head over to the photos post and see if I can get these pictures up.
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Good morning everyone.
We are cold this morning too. When I left for work it was 27 degrees. Coldest day so far yet. Still not much rain to speak of. Seems like El Nino is hitting everyone but us. It's also terribly foggy this morning. Made for a yucky commute to work. I just took it slow and let the speed racers go around me. People just don't seem to get you need to adjust your speed according to weather conditions. That's why there always so many accidents on days like this. Grrrr.
It's going to be a busy work day today. The last day of the year is usually my busiest day. I have lots of stuff to get posted on our website by the end of the day. Half of the office is seems to have taken the day off, and half of those that are here will only be working half day. It will be quiet in the office after noon. Works for me!
I'm going to have a twitchy, quivering mass of dog tonight when the fireworks start going in the neighborhood. Dad's going to run over to a pet store today that sells thunder coats for dogs. He called and they said they had Cisco's size. Apparently the coat is supposed to provide comfort during loud noises like fireworks and thunder. I'm doubtful, but we'll see. If it doesn't work, the next step (next July 4th) is to have the vet give us something to chill him out. We just don't want to go the drug route. Last July 4th she recommended we first try giving him Benydryl, but that did nothing at all.
Sheryl, I wasn't a little girl when I visited my Grandpa and his glued on riser. It was in 1992 and I was 27, and 250 lbs at the time. Those handles just didn't like me at all. Ha!
The bruised tailbone seems to be healing up now. I was starting to wonder if it ever would. It's still sore, but I don't wince every time I sit down, and it's not bothering me when I try to sleep.
Debora, it's hard to remember to call someone another name. That's funny that Julie has to get used to it too! I've always disliked fruitcake because of the candied fruit. I'll bet one that is mostly nuts (love brazil nuts!) would be yummy! Glad the storm let up enough so you all could get together. Sounds like it was a nice day. I can't believe the weather the midwest is getting right now. Very scary. Yes, work should slow down a bit after the new year. It will still be busy, but that year-end deadline won't be looming over my head anymore. No special plans for the long weekend.
Sheryl, that dress is sooooo pretty! I'm sorry you weren't able to get it. Wow, you sure had to do a lot of shopping to find an alternate. I hope it fits well and you like it. I'm the same with groceries. I'm out of everything. I stopped at the store on the way home last night, but just picked up a few essentials. I'll do the full shopping on Friday too.
Well, I guess I should close and get this day finished. I hope you all are having a great day and that you have a wonder New Year's Day tomorrow!
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Good afternoon everyone, the last couple of days have been cold here but not nearly as cold as many of you. Well wait, it's been hot and cold here. 80 degrees one week and the next dropping into the 30's. The last couple of days have also been busy for me so I came in and read but that was about it. Yesterday was the busiest though with lunch with the ladies, a short shopping trip for some of those Vitamints by Centrum, I wanted to try those since I can chew them and the flavor isn't bad. Then another store for hubby and paying a bill personally because they constantly tell us the bank didn't send them the check in time before we get a late fee Yeah right, we have it cut and mailed to them 10 days before the initial due date and there are still 6 days left before there would be a late fee attached. We have been paying in person for the last 8 months and they never deposit the check on time, so that tells us they don't know how to manage their funds and yet we were being subjected to $10 late fees too many times to count. Easy pocket money for them, I wonder how many others experience the same thing and it costs us the fuel and time to get there so we aren't saving any money by doing this but we aren't late on record either. And well, they don't get to put the bogus $10 late fee in their pockets.
My truck had a hard time starting again yesterday so we are thinking it might be the alternator that is the cause. That noise I keep hearing won't go away, we have replaced all the pulleys but it seems like a bearing of some sort is bad, we just can't seem to find it. Even though we have to do the elimination game it is still far cheaper to fix this truck than it is to buy a new one. I love my truck too, so I don't want to sell it, it's never caused me problems until the last year or so other than regular maintenance so no reason to cause the bank account to tank on a new truck.
It sounds like everyone had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends, now on to the new year!
Sannferris-Sorry about your dress disappearing it is really pretty, it's hard to find them and I hate shopping too but I definitely love those shoes you got. Watch online at Walking Shoe Company to get those on clearance and free shipping. the deals are really good on their website.
Mygnsac-I'm sure glad to hear you are feeling better, and posted originally to give Cisco a Benadryl but then realized you posted you had already done that. Did you give him another? One might not have been enough for him. I know when we gave one of our dogs Benadryl after he was stung by a scorpion that I was afraid to give him a whole one so I gave him half. The vet later told me I should have given him two whole ones to make a difference because of the way their bodies use the medication, it takes more and he weighed about 60 pounds.
Arobed53-Sounds like you are just as busy as ever, I don't like fruit cake but a nut cake sure sounds good. I don't know, I think it's the candied fruit flavor and texture I don't like so much.
Well, I need to get moving on dishes and getting dinner started for hubby to come home to. He is still working late hours so I try to make sure it's ready when he gets home so he can go to bed earlier than usual. I hope you all have a great new years eve, I am afraid for the fireworks too, out here they seem to think they can light them off in my neighborhood, even though it's illegal to do that. It's been raining the last couple of days so I am hoping our roof shingles have absorbed some of that water but somehow I doubt it.0 -
Marcie, sorry for the misunderstanding, I obviously have a comprehension problem when I read, and/or just don't remember correctly. I thought it was very "adult" of a little girl to watch what she eats/drinks and be able to "hold it" until there's another restroom nearby.
I finally found the FB post I was searching for, I'll put it over on the photos post.
Yes, Anew, I'm getting lots of emails from The Walking Company, but I think this pair of shoe will last me a long time, I don't dress up very much.0 -
Happy New Year's eve! I posted a pic of the flooding and I wanted to check in quickly--my house is fine, I'm not close to a flood plain but I have lots of friends/coworker's who aren't so lucky! We are under a 'conserve water' order but don't have to boil water just yet.
My hip is hanging in here and I start back to full 8 hours shifts next week. I'm hoping that I will be ok and not make the hip worse. I'm thinking about joining the YMCA because the place I go to water aerobics only has one class twice a week in the evenings. It looks like the Y has multiple classes every evening. Since I will be working more I need to go in the evening!
Marcie--I don't know what the exact pic problem is so don't know if I posted it right or not. I see the pics as pretty big but they aren't that big an issue for me. Should I be posting them in a different way? Cisco is so cute but I would have been so mad at him for eating my food! Kringle got into Austin's chocolate truffles but seemed to have only eaten one of them. She also ate my almond bark peanuts that I give out as gifts before Christmas
Ferris-- love that dress! If you get one like it, you will look beautiful Glad your mom is doing better, that is great news!
Anew--I really love the dog bed, both the color and the pillow! It turned out great and I'm sure your pup loves it
Aero-- the unknown present giver is interesting! That would make me a little crazy but also very thankful Don't know if I'd in the end want to know the mystery giver or not! Not a fan of fruitcake at all
Ivanek--hope you weren't 'hammed' out this Christmas! Sounds like you had a nice time with your family. It's so crazy around here and then goes so fast that it's hard to remember to be thankful just to be together!
I really wish you all a Happy New Year and a wonderful 2016! Here's to good health (esp. hips!!), good friends/family (NM/MFP peeps), and peace and love to all!0 -
Good to hear from you Jannie. I hope that hip continues to hang in there!
Dad went to the pet store today with Cisco to look at the Thunder Shirts and the store that said they had them in Cisco's size (small) didn't have that size, so he had to go to another pet store. I posted a pic of Cisco in his new shirt over in the Photos thread. So far so good. I've heard some fireworks go off in the last hour, and he hasnt taken any notice. Keeping my fingers crossed this will work!
When Dad was at that first pet store, they kept those shirts in the back of the store. Dad suggested they might get more sales, especially today, if they moved them to the front of the store. They loved the suggestion and moved them right away. Ha!
Night everyone.0 -
Good Morning and Happy New Year. I slept right through all the fireworks. Well, I did hear a few, turned over and went right back to sleep. There are usually a lot down the road, fortunately, our close neighbors don't bother with New Years like they do on July 4th.
Dad is a marketing genius, a man of many talents. Hope the thunder shirt did the trick. All comfy and snug and secure.
Our neighbors came over for a visit yesterday. Always nice to sit and talk awhile. They admired John's stack of wood, ha ha
I have been having short spurts of normal voice this past week and yesterday was one of them. Gayla noticed and commented. Maybe my voice will eventually come back. The doctors say I have to be patient.
I have been having a hard time reaching Billie. She is not responding to my emails. I keep forgetting to "message" her on fb, I'm still a lurker over there and haven't posted anything, just have made some comments on other people's posts. In my email this morning, I got a notice that Kit "likes" my status here on MFP. I forgot that she is also on MFP and I'll "message" her and see how they are doing.
My sister was going to kick back and stay in her sweats and lounge all day yesterday. I'm anxious to see how her day went, not being active is so unusual for her, but she really, REALLY, needed a day to "not have a care in the world". She usually has a houseful every New Years, but this year, just Simon and no plans.
John and I have no plans either. But that's not new for us, we lounge around a lot. No snow or rain, but it's frosty and some ice. My biggest chore today will be feeding and thawing out the drinking waters.
I made a pot of fasula yesterday for today's lunch. Fasula is Armenian for green beans and it's a dish my grandma (and mom)had made my whole life. Comfort food; ground beef, onions, tomatoes and green beans and we serve it over pilaf.
Living in Pasadena, my parents always had a houseful for New Year's, all the family and then friends coming in from out of town to see the parade and watch bowl games all afternoon on tv. Mom always made a pot of chili, a tradition from my childhood. Since I made chili for Christmas, I made fasula for New Year's. Same effect, a big pot of something hot and soothing.
I hear the geese calling me for breakfast. They are noisy critters. Time to go scatter some cracked corn.
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Good morning everyone! Happy 2016!
Marcie, thanks for creating the separate post for pics! What a great idea!!! Glad your tailbone is starting to get better. I have heard that it is very painful. Thank God you didn't break it! Crazy about the scooper. So many gadgets are like that - good in theory but not in practice! Boy, who knew little Cisco was such a rascal food thief!
My ankle is about 90% better. Thanks for asking.
Marcie and Anew, a couple of the girls at work were just discussing giving benedryl to their dog for various reasons and said that their vet advised that dogs metabolize the medication differently than we do (as Anew said) and told them to give the dog 25mg per 25lbs of weight. I was amazed!
Anew, the dog bed is fabulous! And you did a wonderful job reducing the pics so it didn't affect the scroll! Thank you for that!
Interesting about the black slate. I'll be curious to see what you decide to do with it. I don't think I'd want to wheel around something that heavy either. The walking shoe company sounds interesting. I'll have to check out the site.
Sheryl, Glad Norma and your mom had a good time together and that your mom was happy to be home! That is so good. I used to love to play rummikub! Bummer about the dress. The other one is pretty too. Hope it works out. I usually wait too long too. I think we have to learn to buy it then return it if we find something else! The Fasula sounds heavenly! Will you share your recipe with me?
Debora, Glad your sister made it in OK. Scary that Alan slid off the road! Thank God they are OK and were able to get back on the road and home safely. The family Christmas gatherings sound wonderful! Dan and I enjoy having scrambled eggs with peppers and onions - and cheese of course! - for dinner as well. Most people seem to dislike fruit cake because we've all had those cheap crappy ones that were all candied fruit. When you get a good one they are delicious. I've heard that the one at Costco is decent. I have a co-worker that orders one from TX that costs $30. I'm not crazy enough to try that! I'd like to get a recipe and try making one homemade some day.
Jannie, the pic of St. Louis is scary. You don't really get the extent of it when you hear the reports on the news. Dan and I are not hammed out. We didn't eat a lot of it on Christmas day and I am making the one I bought which is uncured today. It is only a small 4lb ham so we should be fine. I'll make mashed potatoes to go with it and keep it simple.
We watched a couple of Dr. Who episodes last night (first time for me). Very strange stuff but well done. Then we watched the last Marx brothers movie we had recorded (a night at the opera) and ate popcorn to bring in the new year. Kissed at midnight, said a quick prayer to ask God to bless the new year and went to bed.
Today we plan to go to the movies to see The Big Short at 1pm since I still have most of a gift card so it will only cost us about $5.00. I've heard it is a really good movie. Then when we get home I'll make the ham and we'll relax some more. We are both really looking forward to eating less after today!!!!!! I know I've gained a couple of lbs over the holidays.
Have a wonderful day everyone!0 -
Good morning, today was a late sleep day and went to our friends for black eyed peas to bring in the new year. Tomorrow we need to make it to big town to pick up the glasses hubby ordered last week. Hubby is currently building me a little knife box to put inside my kitchen island drawer. It will fit all knives, the kitchen shears, the pizza wheel and the zester's with the rest of the drawer holding other kitchen prep tools like potato peeler and things. I got the idea from this item, but it won't fit according to their sizes so I ordered the cork board and we are building it instead. The knife block is going to the resale shop and will help clear my counter of just one more thing.
knifedock.com/
The dog bed is very enjoyed by my friends little Millie but Arthur refuses to go into it so his blanket sits to the side on the floor as usual. I am hoping one day he decides to give it a shot.
Jlhawki-It's good to hear your progress with the hip, I hope it all goes well next week when you go back to full time hours.
Sannferris-Glad you had a great visit with the neighbors and glad to hear your voice is trying to come back. I love your wood stacks, very organized lol.
Isyvanek-I think I have decided to keep that piece for an outside table centerpiece but I haven't heard back from the granite company yet. You never know I might change my mind, I am definitely concerned about weight on my wheels, lol. I brought out the chalk and hubby said are you sure that's going to come off? I laughed and said, "yes, it's slate, think chalkboard" and then I proceeded to write "Welcome!" on it. I told him it would be perfect for an outdoor table centerpiece and I could always write on it for whatever occasion we were having people over. Let's see, "Friends are the Web of Life", "Happy Birthday", "Merry Christmas", "Happy New Year", etc. How fun would that be?
Well, I have a headache so I think I'm going to lay down and try to get some sleep and see if I can get this thing to go away. Goodnight everyone, I hope you all had a great New Years day!
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Good Morning. Yesterday was another lazy day, John watched the Citrus Bowl game that came on at 10 am, but without cable tv, that was it for the football games here. I talked to my mom and my sister and they both said the Rose Bowl game was very lopsided and therefore a boring game, so I guess we didn't miss much.
Mom said that she had catfish for lunch and it was very good. Oh, that made me want fish, so I baked tilapia (from the freezer) for dinner last night. Yum.
I got an email from MFP that Kit replied to my message. She gave me an update about Billie, she's doing quite poorly.
Here's a portion of her message back to me:
Hi ... Good to hear from you !
Mom has not been doing well these last few months. The worst is her hands and the arthritis , carpel tunnel and now peripheral nerve damage, So, she can't stand touching stuff. No computer, eating is difficult among other things. She doesn't want to leave the house due to the difficulty with the stairs.
We have been working on getting a power chair for her so she can get out. It's been a process!
She does try to answer her phone but she sometimes misses it cause she is slow getting there. So if you call and miss, call back
Retirement has been good and bad. I loved having the summer off. Finally learned how to can. Made a bunch of jams, tomato products and pie fillings. Then this fall got a pressure canner to do up vegetables! I have a good food storage.
Sorry to hear about losing your dad.... getting old isn't fun! How is John doing? How is your health?
Call me and we'll set up a lunch date :-) I make a good chicken salad,
Love to you from both of us,
Kit & Billie
I will get together with them in February, after I return from California for the wedding. I think I'll be overloaded this month since I have the colonoscopy and another lunch already set up with Carol and my Ladies' Bible Study group.
I think I've discovered that John deliberately puts out the fire in the woodstove before coming to bed. I had planned to stoke it up and choke it down as much as possible, so it slowly burns and keeps the house warm over night. We've done that in the past and it worked well. John does not remember any of that. It is bitter cold this morning. And the woodstove was cleaned out. I think it's coming to the point that I shouldn't go on to bed without him, but I'm so tired and he's rarely ready to go to bed early. Something that we'll have to figure out a solution for.
(I don't think that last sentence is grammatically correct, but I can't think this morning).
Isabella, the ingredients that I listed for fasula is just about it for the recipe. ha ha My grandma used to just say do it "like this, like this". I can still hear her voice in my head when I'm cooking. I'll email you more details as I walk through the process in my head and type it out. This is one recipe of hers that I never wrote down because it's so easy. Primarily, just brown the meat, add onions and sauté, then the tomatoes and green beans (salt and pepper) and let it simmer.
When I was twenty, and ready to leave home and out on my own, I spent 2 weeks with Grandma cooking all my favorite Armenian dishes and writing it all down as we worked. She had nothing documented, so I noted all the little details as she did them. It was a great time together and now, I can still replicate her great cooking.
I guess that's it for this morning. John will probably watch some sports on tv and I need to clean up the kitchen again.
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Good morning ladies,
Anew, hope your headache is gone. Sounds like a fun idea to be able to write a message on your table for each occasion.
Sheryl, What a wonderful idea to spend the time with your grandma cooking all the favorite family dishes and writing everything down. Not many people think to do that. I'd really appreciate you writing down the quantities of each ingredient and sending it to me. I'll look forward to making that! Thank you! I am going to get the ingredients to make chili tomorrow thanks to your inspiration.
The directions on my ham said to heat it covered in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes per lb. at 275 degrees. So I heated it for 1 hour and 10 minutes and it was still not hot. Everything else was done except the ham. I put the sides on warm and turned the oven up to 350 and heated it for approx. another 20 minutes. That worked and it all turned out in the end.
I am wondering whether my oven needs to be re-calibrated. It is the oven that came with the house so I'm pretty sure it is off. I think I am going to get an oven thermometer and we'll take it from there. Maybe I'll google how to recalibrate it and see if I can do it myself...
Temperature outside has been 39 degrees each morning when I get up then gets to the low 60's in the middle of the day. Must be winter! Not much going on today. I'll take down the few Christmas decorations I put up then maybe dust and sweep. I finished my book yesterday so I'll probably read some of my nutrition magazines today. I really enjoyed this author, Lucy Dillon. She writes stories that include a dog in each novel. They are easy reading and really pull you into the story.
Well, I think it is time for breakfast. We'll have ham and eggs today.
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Green Eggs and Ham???? ha ha ha
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One of my favorites Sheryl! 0
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Wow the days zoom. Got the shopping done, everything put away. Lori and kids came over about 8 and stayed till 12:30 when Thomas was done at the party. He had fun - they played hungry hippos with the people being the players, had food, etc.. We made the pizza thing I saw on facebook. It was good to eat but about an hour after we ate I realized I had left out the olive oil so that why it had to be sliced and wasn't pull apart. I'd like to try it again sometime. Instead of playing a game, we ended up watching TV and everyone but Jeremiah and I went to sleep. I got to bed about 1:30 and was glad I didn't have to get up to walk.
New Year's Day was low key. Just worked on things like I usually do. It was Molly's birthday but Katie said they were just celebrating with their family so I'll give her her gift tomorrow.
Today was fun because our Bible study group got together for a brunch and everyone was able to come. One of our member's hosted it and made all the food. She had made name cards and then the holders were made out of candy canes - very cute. She made breakfast casserole, 2 kinds of muffins, banana bread, had fruit and then blackberry fool (pioneer woman recipe) for dessert. The eating was good as well as the visiting. We have not been together for awhile so it was good to catch up. We're getting ready to start a Beth Moore study on David so that will be a god one. Hope I don't have to miss too much. Thursday night has conflicts for me. After I got home, I got the dishes caught up, made a jello for tomorrow and this, that and the other. Ralph snacks on peanut butter back in the bedroom and I realized several empty jars were under the bed so thought I'd get them out. There were 12 of them so I haven't done it for some time I guess but they are cleaned up and in the recycling now. Fixed pizza and salads for supper.
Tomorrow will be a full day. We'll go to church & kids will be here for dinner. If they leave soon enough I'll go to a baby shower and then there's church in the evening. Monday I want to get back to decluttering (I hope I'll let go of lots more this year - I want to but...)
Sheryl, when you have cold weather, you have to get out in it. I get to stay inside. I suppose you know how to dress warmly. We started out at 18 yesterday and 10 today but it got up to 40 so more of the little snow we had melted.
Marcie, you made it through the last day of the year - nice to have a quiet office to work in. How did the thunder shirt work out? Cisco sure looks cute in it.
Anew, hope you figure out the truck problem. You can do a lot of repairs and pay a lot less than you would to change vehicles. I'm sure your hubby appreciates you having the meal ready. Will his long hours come to an end soon?
Jannie, that was a lot of water in your area. It was good to hear you are okay. Glad the hip is hanging in there. Praying it will make it with the longer hours. Joining the Y sounds like it would be a good plan.
After all the fruitcake comments, I decided to do a taste test. Ralph has one from Costco that my nephew gave him. It is very full of fruit and some nuts and very sweet. (And when I came home today I found that Ralph has deconstructed it so he can make another one that has more batter. The one Ralph made was okay - no nuts but not so sweet and could taste the spice cake but the nut one was still the best. I found out there are family members I'm supposed to give the other three loaves to it so I should have made the one I ate so fast last longer. Oh well.
Sheryl, cool that you had times with a normal voice. Hope they are longer and closer together as time goes on. Thanks for sharing the pictures of the straightened wood. Like you say, not necessary but if he enjoys it, why not. Sorry to hear Billie's not doing well. That would be special of you to go in and visit (when things slow down for you). You say you don't go and do a lot, but you do keep busy.
The fasula sounds good. So cool that you have those special times of cooking with your grandmother along with the recipes. I put the rest of our soups in the freezer and will pull them out next week sometime. I was glad they were in the fridge today cause he could go ahead and eat when I was late getting home.
We don't judge grammar here so just type away as you want.
Anew, your knife dock looks like what my knives are in. They came in it and I think were meant to hang on the wall but I've always kept them in a drawer. It takes space but I can always find the knife I want. Some get used much more than others. Hope your headache is gone.
Almost 10 o'clock so good to have this done so I can head for bed.
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Hello everyone, my headache is hanging around but it is getting a little bit better so I made dinner easy tonight. We had tuna salad stuffed tomatoes, black olives on the side and also a side of applesauce, easy peasy! Hubby has finished my little knife drawer and I have fit everything I wanted to into it. I use all of my knives, I have 8 knives only and all are needed for something or another at least once per week, but of course their are some that are used daily. My little drawer is now also holding the pizza cutter, the two long zester/hard cheese graters I have and my meat tenderizer I came across that has ultra sharp points without the cap on it. It's perfect and leaves room in the other half of the drawer for the other items I need in the island for meal prep. I don't think I've used the meat tenderizer more than three times in at least 5 years or more so it might just be going to the resale shop too. We don't eat much meat that needs to be tenderized so I am finding it is not really a necessary kitchen tool for us.
I'll post pictures on the pic thread at another time when we finish the island. I am very happy with my new drawer, it brings things together from two drawers and the knives are off the counter top, and it means the other two drawers, one 24" and one 12" are not totally cram packed and having to dig for what I want. Especially considering the 24" drawer is also the silverware drawer, I like not having to look in three places for what I need just to prep dinner. Slowly but surely this little kitchen is getting more organized with less frustration and headache using it.
I'll come back later, my head needs a break so good night all!
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Good Snowy Morning. It's beautiful, especially now that I'm done with outside chores (everyone fed and watered) and I can warm myself by the woodstove and look out the window.
Not much to say right now, John is not having a good morning, so I'll try to get back here later today.0 -
Good Morning. Sure was quiet here yesterday. The snow was beautiful and low and behold, our neighbors trekked over here through it and we had coffee and an hour and a half visit. That was nice, it broke the cycle of what John was doing and he was in a great mood after that. It is still all white outside, but the news states that it is ice. Careful on the roads !!!!
Tax season starts today and Gayla will be going up to the H&R Block office in Battle Ground, Jack will drive her, he does not let her drive in snow and ice. She will be extremely busy now until April 15th, so our visits will be few and far between for 3 1/2 months.
I haven't gone out to feed yet, holding off until the sun is brighter and I can see clearly, I definitely don't want to slip on ice carrying a bucket of hot water.
My sister has a dilemma, she had to take Simon to the ER twice during his visit this past week. He had a bloody nose that was a gusher and would not stop. His blood pressure was through the roof, she gave me the numbers, but I don't remember them. Anyway, long story short, he has a history of some heart problems, was told by his doctor to lose weight and hasn't, and doesn't seem to take care of himself. Norma had major issues with her husband about his health and weight and it was an emotional roller coaster throughout their marriage. She told me that she just can't do that again and if Simon doesn't take his health very seriously, she will call the whole thing off. This will be so difficult for her.
She spent Christmas in the ER with Mom and New Years in the ER with Simon. She is exhausted.
Today, there will be a memorial for the San Bernardino shooting victims. The county offices will only work a half day and everyone will go at 1 pm. Norma plans to go to this one, she declined to go to some of the other memorials because they were so lop-sided. One memorial, that was sponsored by a Union, only honored 8 of the victims because the others were not a member of their Union. Norma would not go to that one. Everything is so political.
I had a great conversation with my Mom yesterday, on the phone for almost an hour, like the good ole days. Her attitude is so much better lately. I am so happy for that.
It's bright enough outside now, I better go do my chores.0 -
I'm done with my outside chores and back inside warm and toasty with a mug of fresh coffee. It's not as bad out there as I thought it would be. Yesterday, after the snow stopped, I cleaned off the back walk, so it was dry and not icy. The snow on the grass in the backyard and in the pasture had a crispy layer, so I crunched when I walked. Love that crunchy sound, as long as I don't have that all winter, ha ha. There was very little ice on the drinking waters, so no problem there either.
Yesterday, because of the snow, I took out extra hay in the afternoon since the llamas couldn't graze. A lot of it was still there, in the hay rack, so I'd say the amount that I dole out in the morning, is perfectly sufficient for the day.
I hear John getting up now, so I'll close.0
