WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER 2017

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  • grandmallie
    grandmallie Posts: 10,139 Member
    Heather ~ thank you on the tutorial on the tea... Love it...
    well I was up at 3 am all refreshed so got on my work out clothes and went and road the recumbent bike for 20 minutes... really have to get into the groove again, and I have no darn excuse as It is right around the corner.. going to make myself a spot of tea... and then take a shower .. will have to start getting this place all set for the girls Friday night.. have the girls from work over for a Christmas party and then up at the butt crack of dawn to take Tom to the airport.... as I will be staying with all 3 boys..,Homer Chester, and Alfie once I pick him up...
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,681 Member
    Machka made me laugh with the afternoon tea and a biscuit (cookie). This is how you get to drink tea in Britain..........
    When you go to someone's house at any time of day the host will say, "Would you like a cup of tea or coffee? " If you say coffee they might say "Is instant ok?" :noway: Best thing to say, if you want to be a true Britisher, is "I'd LOVE a cup of tea!"
    Then you will be asked, "Builders ok?" You should say, "Perfect!" (This means a standard black tea of the kind marketed under English Breakfast. I like PG Tips Pyramid bags) They will ask, "Milk and sugar? " or "How do you like it?" You say "Milk, no sugar." PLEASE NEVER SAY SUGAR, ! ( If you do it will entail much rooting around at the back of the cupboard for the last scrap of solid sugar. No one has taken sugar in tea since the 70s. Except workmen ) When you are handed your mug or cup of tea you take a sip, close your eyes and make a sigh of satisfaction. Then you smile and say, "Lovely cup of tea." :D or "I could really do with that! " or "That hits the spot!" or some other sign of great satisfaction. Don't be annoying and ask for some herbal infusion, though peppermint is acceptable.
    If you ever come to Britain I hope that helps. >:):D
    If you come to a meal, or to stay, at my house and you arrive after 5 pm, you will be offered "Tea, coffee, or Prosecco? " The right answer is "Ooooh, I think I fancy Prosecco!" You are allowed to look guilty.

    Lots of love, Heather UK xxxxxxx

    I discovered that the first time I went to the UK and stayed with a friend in the midlands. Only problem is, I don't take milk or sugar ... in fact, I have a really difficult time stomaching milk in anything. So my first couple cups of tea were OK, they remembered I didn't take milk, but after that, it always came with milk and I had to get it down politely without gagging. :lol:

    But it was there that I was introduced to McVities digestives ... yummy! Right up there among my favourite biscuits (cookies). http://www.mcvities.co.uk/products/chocolate-digestives


    Most of my coworkers here are tea and milk drinkers ... I'm one of the few that goes for mostly coffee.

    BTW - here in Australia, you'll get instant coffee too. Unless you happen to be in a place that serves Italian coffee. I drink my coffee black ... the instant is all right because I get to make it myself. I like strong-ish coffee. But if a place serves Italian coffee, I order a "long black", take a sip, and then decide if I need a pot of water to tone it down or sugar. As I said, I like my coffee strong-ish, but the Italian coffees here are heart palpitation strong!!

    Machka in Oz
  • okiewoman510
    okiewoman510 Posts: 1,319 Member
    edited December 2017
    Karen - sorry to hear about your Aunt. I will keep your family in my prayers.

    Okie
  • LisaInAR
    LisaInAR Posts: 2,020 Member
    edited December 2017
    Yvonne - so sorry to hear about your dad. Thinking of you and your family.

    Pip - sorry the vacation was ruined... I, too, write reviews, whether negative or positive.

    Heather - Living in Great Britain was where I learned to like milk in my tea. Transferred that liking over to non-dairy coffee creamer or almond milk when I came back to the states, as milk is such a guaranteed gut ache for me. Still refuse to drink instant coffee unless I'm absolutely desperate, although Folgers has put out single-serving coffee bags, much like tea bags. They don't taste like coffee, but they're survivable.

    Ended up rooming with one of the membership managers whose company I truly enjoy. She's young, mid-twenties, but loves having the room quite cold and told me she sleeps very heavily. She does--I've taken my pills, started my second small pot of coffee, done all the necessaries, and she is still snoring. Much like traveling with my husband, except I get a bed to myself! :smiley:

    Stayed at the hotel last night instead of going out with the girls, and was glad I did, as they didn't get back until 11 p.m. I'd already been asleep for more than three hours! Staying pretty close to my time zone hours, and it's working--slept 7 and a half hours last night, which will mean I can hang in there through like eight hours of meetings today... Only four tomorrow for the retreat, but hopefully will get a few things resolved in meetings tomorrow afternoon and Thursday morning, before I head for the plane.

    DJ - the elliptical pic you asked for... technically you can stand on it and move, as well. When you're sitting, it faces with the small end nearest you, when you stand on it, the larger end goes toward your backside. Cost about $70.

    ofz925gvcn0s.jpg

    Love y'all,
    Lisa in West Texas for a few more days...
  • KJLaMore
    KJLaMore Posts: 2,847 Member
    Good morning ladies! Happy Tuesday! DH is out shoveling this morning, so I can have a second cup of coffee and chat with you ladies before my kiddos arrive.
    Terry- Your crafts are fantastic! I have to look up the little gnomes and I adore those snowflakes. I think I saved that tutorial earlier; it is good to see that it actually turns out for a first time snowflake maker!
    Yvonne- So sorry to hear about your dad. Sending hugs and prayers/good thoughts to all. <3
    Kellie-Welcome to a great group of women! 10 pounds is huge, especially when your movement is limited. Lots of advice and support to be found here. We do chat a LOT; but feel free to skim, if you don't have time to read and just chime in whenever you feel the urge.
    Cookies vs fruit- We always got oranges in our stockings for Christmas. Because we live in Michigan, this season is not a "fruit" season. All fruits are available, but at a higher price. As far as cookies are concerned. Cookies made during the holiday season are usually a "specific" kind. At my house, I usually make a thin crisp sugar cookie, gingerbread, and ginger snaps (my favorite). Many people make pizzelles, those hershey kiss cookies, bar cookies, etc. this time of year. I always end up with the inevitable plate of cookie/candy assortment from a neighbor or two. Don't tell anyone, but I keep them for a day or two for my DH and DYS to pick at; then I toss them all. The only cookie I have a hard time resisting is the gingersnaps. I seem to be the only one in my neighborhood who makes them, thank God, (less temptation). We in America do cookies this time of year. Maybe they are such a big deal to us, because we don't take time for tea and biscuits? I like all of my teas plain. No sugar or milk. AND...I drink instant coffee. I found if I make a pot, I drink a pot. I don't want a Keurig, because I don't like the thought of mold buildup in that water feed tube in the pot and I don't want the hassle of cleaning it after each use to prevent the mold build-up. So...I have two coffee makers and they are both packed away for use when company comes. I have a french press. (I forgot about that!) I may get a nice fresh bean to grind and use in that as a treat for losing weight...
    Allie- I hope Alfie settles into "sibling" life with your other pups easily!
    Pip- So sorry your "treat" hotel stay didn't work out! I had a similar experience happen on one of my first trips to Mexico. I had bought a time share condo. It was in a new (being built) locale and I bought it while on vacay in December of one year and when I went there to stay a full year later, the condo was not completed. Everything had been confirmed. A driver from the condo picked me up at the airport and took me to the resort, where I was greeted with a "sorry it is not finished". I was pissed as I had not been told and had no reservations anywhere else. They put me up in a nice suite in the resort next door; but it was still a disappointment.
    DJ- Love your photo! You look fantastic! Glad to hear your brunch went well!
    Lanette- Lol! The "green" shop! In answer to wondering if anyone could smell it on you...did anyone follow you home?
    I used to be on the fence about medical marijuana; but then I saw how it helped my sister with pain management when she was battling the brain cancer. Needless to say, there is nothing anyone can say that would put me on the side against it, now.

    Well, yesterday ended with a bang (kind of). I heard one of my two year olds wake up from nap, screaming. Not her usual way to wake up. I went in to get her out of bed and she was standing in the pack n play, head to toe covered in vomit. :( I stripped her down where she stood, carried her at arms length to the tub and washed her up, poor thing. She is a two year old with hair down to her mid back, so it was an ordeal as she was COVERED! Found jammies in her bag and put those on her and put her at the kitchen table with a cup of water while I called mom. The other kids got to have snack in the living room, picnic style, while the "sickie" stayed in seclusion in the kitchen.

    I got the pack n play cleaned up, sanitized, etc. This was in my bedroom, so the windows were opened and my door closed, due to the frigid temps. I left it that way until I went to bed. Blech. A day in my life. I REALLY hope this isn't the beginning of the flu going through my daycare. NOT over the holidays!

    Well, gotta fly! Love to all I forgot to mention; just know I think about you all daily! ttfn xoxoxo KJ (Kelly)
  • margaretturk
    margaretturk Posts: 5,289 Member
    edited December 2017
    I agree PIP on the poor service in a service industry. Not good for long time business. I know I refuse to go back to the hotel that the day on my mother's funeral I return to the hotel for much needed rest to find a note on my door that says there is a water issue in my room and I need to move to another similar room. For your inconvenience will offer your a free treat (less than $2) in our cooler by the front desk. Since it was filled with junk food I declined. I did not tell them it was the day of my mother's funeral. Regardless I thought it was a poor way to treat a customer.

    By the same token there is a local restaurant where I feel welcomed and cared for. They make service a top priority and thank you as you leave. I recommend and make it one of my top choices the few times I go out to eat. Service matters!!!

    :heart: Margaret
  • KJLaMore
    KJLaMore Posts: 2,847 Member
    Lisa- I love the portable elliptical! Does it have a weight limit?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,681 Member
    KJLaMore wrote: »
    Cookies vs fruit- We always got oranges in our stockings for Christmas. Because we live in Michigan, this season is not a "fruit" season. All fruits are available, but at a higher price. As far as cookies are concerned. Cookies made during the holiday season are usually a "specific" kind. At my house, I usually make a thin crisp sugar cookie, gingerbread, and ginger snaps (my favorite). Many people make pizzelles, those hershey kiss cookies, bar cookies, etc. this time of year. I always end up with the inevitable plate of cookie/candy assortment from a neighbor or two. Don't tell anyone, but I keep them for a day or two for my DH and DYS to pick at; then I toss them all. The only cookie I have a hard time resisting is the gingersnaps. I seem to be the only one in my neighborhood who makes them, thank God, (less temptation). We in America do cookies this time of year. Maybe they are such a big deal to us, because we don't take time for tea and biscuits? I like all of my teas plain. No sugar or milk. AND...I drink instant coffee. I found if I make a pot, I drink a pot. I don't want a Keurig, because I don't like the thought of mold buildup in that water feed tube in the pot and I don't want the hassle of cleaning it after each use to prevent the mold build-up. So...I have two coffee makers and they are both packed away for use when company comes. I have a french press. (I forgot about that!) I may get a nice fresh bean to grind and use in that as a treat for losing weight...

    My husband bought a french press to make coffee for me because they don't have drip coffee pots here like they do in Canada. But we usually just go with Moccana caramel instant ... it's actually pretty good. At work, we have just plain ordinary instant.

    small-caramel.png


    One other difference I've noticed between North America and Australia is that we've got so many bakeries here. Even small towns have bakeries ... they're more plentiful than fast food places. The bakeries sell sandwiches, pies (meat not sweet), cookies, squares/bars, tarts, small cakes, etc. etc. etc. And that's where people go for lunch or tea or whatever. My husband and I often stop at bakeries on our long bicycle rides ... you can count on them being in 99% of the towns we go through. :) It's kind of like France with patisseries everywhere. There's one bakery we stop at on a ride south of here and we always get the salted caramel cookies. They're about 4 or 5 inches in diameter, and thick, and filled with salted caramel. So good!! :)

    But speaking of gingerbread, I'm not overly fond of gingersnaps, but I've had this urge just lately to try to find a recipe for soft gingerbread ... if one exists. I'm not sure if I'm just imagining that a soft gingerbread exists, but somehow I think I may have had it a long, long time ago.



    Machka in Oz
  • grandmallie
    grandmallie Posts: 10,139 Member
    well took a quick 45 min nap and feel better ,took a shower and am dressed for work... taking today off from feeding DFIL , and will go walk the dogs and then go to work..10-5 today.. and will see how I am treated today..
  • klanders30
    klanders30 Posts: 2,569 Member
    Mornin' I love my Aeropress for making strong coffee, It is similar to a french press but uses a round paper filter, quite delicious coffee. Instant coffee is pretty awful in US (imho). I always pack it and some strong coffeee whenever I travel, you never know how bad the coffee will be when you travel!!

    Kelly hope the illness doesn't spread...you did get a flu shot yes?

    Concert last night was wonderful, a lot of older siblings came to watch their younger brothers and sisters, and all came up to me with a smile and a hug, delightful! A grandmom asked me for some duet music to play along with her cellist/grandson which is also delightful! I'll have to get working on that this week. Heading off to the gym after work today, looking forward to that.

    NYKAREN
  • LisaInAR
    LisaInAR Posts: 2,020 Member
    Kelly - if there's a weight limit, they don't note it anywhere. Probably because most use it from a sitting position, so your weight's not a factor.

    Lisa
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,245 Member
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  • Peach1948
    Peach1948 Posts: 2,473 Member
    Yvonne ~ Hugs and Prayers



  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 17,349 Member
    Hugs to all that red them

    I forgot about trip advisor, will do that too. Got a response on FB from the hotel, saying they r sorry to hear about my experience and wanted my email and “dm” ? Think that’s direct mail address ? I’m going to reply with the room # and date of stay end correct email address
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    Machka and others living in OZ or New Zealand: Christmas in summer is an odd thing to think about but what about winter? Do you have some sort of holiday set up in July or August to cheer up the winter months? :huh:
  • ryenday
    ryenday Posts: 1,540 Member
    Heather I had almost forgotten about Christmas crackers! I found them here in the US one year (called poppers over here) but never again. They were such fun at Xmas dinner.

    M Christmas cookies are serious business. Mom filled 10 to 20 tins with homemade cookies each December. (We only had occasional home baked oatmeal cookies the rest of the year). People have Christmas Cookie Exchange Parties. Fresh baked cookies are brought into work places. The thing about Christmas cookies is that these are home baked cookies from scratch usually. A real treat that people generally don’t take the time to make the rest of the year. Store cookies and bakery cookies don’t count as Christmas cookies, imo.
  • csofled
    csofled Posts: 3,022 Member
    :)
  • KetoneKaren
    KetoneKaren Posts: 6,412 Member
    Yvonne Hugs for you & your dad.

    Rye I saw poppers at Costco recently.

    Karen in Virginia
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    :star:
  • ydailey
    ydailey Posts: 516 Member
    Happy Gingerbread House Day!

    Uh-oh, I got ahead of myself. TODAY is Poinsettia Day. Yesterday was Have a Bagel Day.

    Karen - So sorry to hear about your aunt. That is a grand old age indeed, but I imagine it must be kind of lonely too.

    Pip - Sounds like a really frustrating stay at the Sheraton. They should have been falling all over themselves to make you happy!


    Thank you for all the kind thoughts about my dad. It's good to know I've got "pocket friends." Right now we're just waiting for all of the test results so we can talk about options. Planning to head down there Thursday for a visit. On the day I got the news I was making him a rice-filled warming bag for Christmas, and I think I'll give it to him early so he can use it right away. I know he's ready to be done and I'm at peace with that, but I'm not sure there's anything that could prepare me for losing my Daddy.

    I've had an itchy, runny nose for days now. At first I thought it was a cold, but now I'm wondering if it's allergies. Before we moved to New Mexico I had year-round allergy problems, and they all went away with the new climate. Now we may have been back in Texas long enough for my body to remember how to be allergic. I don't want to share with Dad if it's a cold, so I guess we'll have to see. I've been taking zinc and antihistamines. If I'm still sniffling by Thursday I'm going to call it allergies.

    Being good with the diet lately, but not so much with the exercise. I just can't seem to find the time!

    -Yvonne in TX
  • skuehn48
    skuehn48 Posts: 3,068 Member
    Hello ladies: Leaving soon to take DH to hospital for his knee surgery. I am not looking forward to 5-6 hours of sitting around the hospital but they frown on you leaving the waiting room even for a short time. He was supposed to have surgery this morning but they rescheduled to 3:30 this afternoon. I am not happy as this means I will probably not get home before about 9:00 this evening. Have arranged things for all the animals as they will miss their usual afternoon feedings.

    Heather - Love your outfits.

    Pip - Sorry about your hotel experience. Is the Jingle Bell run for the Arthritis Foundation? I love your rubber chicken ornament, looks like it might have come from Archie McFee.

    Michele - Thanks for checking on Lenora.

    Marcelyn - Congrats on your marathon.

    Yvonne - Sorry to hear about your dad.

    Katiebug - I am guilty of overestimating when I don't weigh or measure. I need to get a new scale as we lost the old one when we moved.

    Everyone take care, Sue in WA
  • coastalgosgal
    coastalgosgal Posts: 2,900 Member
    4 days until we pick up youngest son!!!! I'm so excited I can't even think straight! Going to wait until Thursday to sanitize bathrooms, and vacuum. It will give me something to do!

    I am regretting paying off my debt to relative...money seems to be flowing through our fingers like sand! We have forewarned our sons that grocery shopping, restaurant visits, and gas, will be on their dime. Its a sad thing to do, and I have to just put it in the back of my mind.

    I'm sleeping better, so those overactive bladder meds are working! I tell people, leave it to me to have a bladder that gets more exercise than I do!!!

    Sorry to hear that some of you have lost friends and relatives during the holidays.

    I am trying to NOT get a cold, and I think I'm kicking it. Going to be buying my 3rd box of meds! Ridiculous!

    Becca
    Oregon
  • jmkmomm
    jmkmomm Posts: 3,247 Member
    edited December 2017
    My Mom used to insist on putting fruit in all our stockings. Her favorite was bananas or apples. Well by the time the stockings got put form this place to another place the bananas were bruised and the kids didn't want to eat them. Apples always ended up on the bottoms of the stocking and got bruised. At first she put grapefruit in the stockings but very few people liked them. Now I could eat 10 grapefruit a day but I take to many medicine for that and I am to stingy to buy it. We have never had cookies in our stockings. Just candy, several gifts and peanuts. Oh, and a candy cane.

    Heather thank you for our tutorial for drinking coffee or tea across the pond. I would be frowned on. I have to hav sugar or substitute. And I can not imagine milk in tea. I guess I will have to bring my own tea bags and sweetener with me.

    Going to be going to doctor in about an hour to get my foot xrayed. I made the mistake of trying to pick up my lap top with m left hand last night. That will be a no no for awhile. So I'm not sure if I will be able to do without the sling. I would love to just have an ace wrap.

    Yvonne, sos sorry about your Dad. When my Dad died, my Mom was immediately ready to join him. So when we knew she was dying in 2011, we knew there was no stopping her.monce she was on her way to her beloved husband, there was no stopping her. Although it was sad saying goodby to her, we knew they belonged together again. They had been married for 56 years and completed each other.

    I asked Michelle last night if she wants her usual money that her Dad loves to give her or I buy presents. So she sent me her AmaOn wish list this morning. Her shopping is now finished. Her sister wants money. Their Dad thinks it is a wonderful way to take care of his girls. They can pay bills with it!

    Joyce, Indiana
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 17,349 Member
    skuehn48 wrote: »
    Hello ladies: Leaving soon to take DH to hospital for his knee surgery. I am not looking forward to 5-6 hours of sitting around the hospital but they frown on you leaving the waiting room even for a short time. He was supposed to have surgery this morning but they rescheduled to 3:30 this afternoon. I am not happy as this means I will probably not get home before about 9:00 this evening. Have arranged things for all the animals as they will miss their usual afternoon feedings.

    Heather - Love your outfits.

    Pip - Sorry about your hotel experience. Is the Jingle Bell run for the Arthritis Foundation? I love your rubber chicken ornament, looks like it might have come from Archie McFee.

    Michele - Thanks for checking on Lenora.

    Marcelyn - Congrats on your marathon.

    Yvonne - Sorry to hear about your dad.

    Katiebug - I am guilty of overestimating when I don't weigh or measure. I need to get a new scale as we lost the old one when we moved.

    Everyone take care, Sue in WA

    yup it is for the arthritis foundation. could have gotten it at archie mcfee's, that place is still there.
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    edited December 2017
    Sue: Sending good thoughts for your DH and your family. :heart:

    (((Becca)))

    Joyce: Good luck with Amazon. We've recently been having trouble with their deliveries. Today's complaint is that they delivered a package to an unoccupied house on the opposite side of the development from the person who ordered. The idea of them handling their own deliveries sounds good on paper, but it is a disaster on the ground where we live. :grumble:


    I'm a member of a city committee, and the Mayor is coming to our session tonight. I wonder what is on his mind. As far as I know, we don't have any other business to take care of this month.

    Katla in beautiful NW Oregon

    "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." - William James
  • grandmallie
    grandmallie Posts: 10,139 Member
    evening ladies~
    left an hour early from work and came home, had my work done and was not in the mood to stick around... well I am going to try and make it to bingo tonight... have not gone in awhile and working 12-6 tomorrow.. and getting Tal on the bus..
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 17,349 Member
    .............
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