Your daily dose of cuteness, you can have this on your desktop, too with your own favorite picture inserted…

 

I got the following wallpaper for my computer desktop from Shabby Miss Jenn.  It’s a freebie – you download the wallpaper, and using a photo editing program, put your picture of choice behind the blank frame,  save it to your desktop as wallpaper, and you have the cutest fall monitor paper EV-ER….

This pix of Maggie is temporary, I’m going to take the M&M’s photo surrounded by pumpkins and insert it in the frame.

I’m sending you the download site,  so that you can have this, also.  If you can’t figure out how to get your picture inserted, just email me your picture and I’ll do it for you.  You have no idea of how cute this is in a large resolution.

It’s a good thing.

XOXO ~ jan

Here’s the CLICK to the download site -

Paul Newman, dead of cancer at age 83

We lost a great one today.  What a fine man he was…. 

My favorite Paul Newman Quotes, especially the first one, I heard the hamburger/steak quote years ago, and I’ve always remembered it…

About infidelity: "Why fool around with hamburger when you have steak at home?"

About successful marriage to Joanne: "I never ask my wife about my flaws. Instead I try to get her to ignore them and concentrate on my sense of humor. You don't want any woman to look under the carpet, guys, because there's lots of flaws underneath.

Joanne believes my character in a film we did together, 'Mr. and Mrs. Bridge' comes closest to who I really am. I personally don't think there's one character who comes close . . . but I learned a long time ago not to disagree on things that I don't have a solid opinion about." Later, Newman answered the same question yet again by saying, "I don't know what she puts in my food".

About his Newman's Own: "Once you've seen your face on a bottle of salad dressing, it's hard to take yourself seriously." "The embarrassing thing is that my salad dressing is out-grossing my films." "You can only put away so much stuff in your closet."

About that Turtle Trifle dessert…

I was telling Peggy tonight about the ‘Turtle Trifle Dessert’ recipe that I posted earlier today on this page.

I told her that it sounds even better than the ‘Better Than Sex Dessert’ that I’ve made forever, the one with the butter pecan crust, the lemon filling, and the cream cheese and Cool Whip.

So, sitting in the theater, before the show started, we both decided that if the ‘Turtle Trifle Dessert’  tops the ‘Better Than Sex Dessert’, it shall, from this day forward, be known as  ‘The Multiple Orgasm Dessert’. 

We were laughing so hard, oh nothing like two old women with a bawdy sense of humor.  You have to admit, though, after you read the ingredients in this recipe, that the new name we gave it is very appropriate…

Nights in Rodanthe Review…

I’m just back from seeing Nights in Rodanthe with Peg.
First of all, I read the book a few weeks ago, and this afternoon when I mentioned it to Lindsay, she said “oh-oh, never read the book first, the movie never  measures up.”  And of course she was right, because you can never get all of the details of the book into a 90 minute movie.
But, because I had read the book, it wasn’t as much of a tear jerker for me, as for others in the theater.  I knew what was coming, so there were no surprises. A group of women sitting next to Peg and I were sobbing openly, I was a bit teary eyed, Peg made it thru without crying.
The acting, really good, Diane Lane is wonderful, the chemistry between her and Richard Gere is awesome.  They still have the magic.  Both Peg and I agreed that  Gere is still yummy, he still has it, ladies.  Middle age looks really well on him…
The setting is fantastic.  The beach house is mesmerizing.  For me, the movie lacked depth, because I had read the book, I’m sure.  But it’s a goodie, ladies,  a middle-aged couple who finds love again.  It’s a beautiful thing…
Okay, now for the superficial.  Diane Lane has a great body, a super haircut, and throughout the whole movie she was wearing the same necklace that I bought at T. J. Maxx last year.  Only difference is mine is white gold, hers is yellow.  So naturally I thought that was just fantastic.  Bet you can’t get that necklace now at T. J. Maxx, they will be sold out everywhere.  If you go, check out her earrings, little gold daisies in her ears, I still don’t know if there were diamonds in the middle or not, if they were they were small ones.  Oh, cute earrings, though.  I WANT THEM!!!!
And that’s it for me tonight, I’m going to finish watching the debate with hubby, the M&M’s tucked in beside me, and go to bed.  Go see the movie, you will enjoy it…

Guiltless Pleasure…

I made hubby a batch of healthy chocolate chip cookies today, using Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Chips, and only 4 tablespoons of butter in the entire recipe.  I started making these cookies last March, and they have been a huge hit at our house.  I blogged about them on my Eating Right site – they are from a cookbook called Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More, by David Malgeri and David Joachim.  There are a lot of great recipes in that book,  everything I’ve made has been exceptionally good.  Imagine that, 4 tablespoons of butter instead the 1/2 cup that most chocolate chip recipes call for.  It’s a good thing.

Here’s a quick CLICK  to my archived recipe.  You might enjoy making them, also.

And check out the glass container, it’s from the 50’s, it’s really a refrigerator container, see the veggies on the lid, but it works great for cookies.  It’s one of my favorite things…

Mid afternoon in Heavensville…

This is my attempt to cure a rockin’ sinus headache.   It’s 2pm, I’m at the computer, working on the Thanksgiving pages, and I’m going to see Nights in Rodanthe with Peg tonight. I have to make this headache go away!  I’m all tanked up on caffeine and sinus pills.  I’ll either be so hyper I won’t be able to sit in my seat, or I’ll sleep thru the movie.

It’s gonna be a sob story, too, just what I need to do, cry with a sinus headache.

Geezy Pete, of all the luck!!!

Counting my blessings…

I was in the garden this morning, touching this pot of rosemary, and as I sit here typing, the smell of it  on my fingers is intoxicating.

I was out and about this cool, breezy morning, and I was thinking about my recent post about sags and bags and wrinkles, and how superficial that was.  In the overall scheme of things, I’m content and at peace with where I’m at in this fifty-eighth year of my life. 

I’m so lucky that I can stay home and spend my days doing what I enjoy, instead of what is expected of me.  I’m grateful that I don’t have to worry about losing my home, that I have a pantry and freezer filled with food, and that every time I turn on the faucet there is hot water.

I was putting a load of clothes in the dryer just now.  How handy it is, just to walk a few steps and do my laundry. 

Hubby and I are healthy, the family is doing well, my fur kids bring me so much joy and I have wonderful friends.  I’m surrounded by nature,  what more do I want. 

I’m sure that all of you have a lot to be thankful for, also.   So, today, right now,  live in the moment, step outside and sit  in the sunshine, feel the breeze on your face, surround yourself with nature and fill your soul with the harmony and the beauty of your surroundings, instead of the bad news from Washington, which we have no control over anyway, and you can find peace.

Life is good, today.  The rest shall pass.

~ jan

Turtle Trifle

Oh, do I have a recipe for you.

It’s from Southern Living Magazine, and chocked full of chunks of pecan pie and caramel and chocolate ie cream toppings. Looks amazing, doesn’t it?  Calories out the wazoo, naturally, but what a great finish to a special holiday meal.

I posted it over on Jan Can Cook – here’s the quick CLICK to check it out…

~ jan

Play date….

The girls had a play date this afternoon.  And what do fur kids do at a play date? 
Well there was a lot of butt sniffing going on, and some barking and growling.  They snacked on a apple, drank iced water and were adorable, naturally…  Diane was here with Emme, Trish brought London over, it was quite a crew we had….

 

Our afternoon drive…

Magggie was shakin’ in her boots…

Hubby and I took the fur kids out for a ride on Milly last night.  We passed a field where a neighbor girl was exercising her horse, trying to make him turn in circles, apparently he did not want to do that, so he started bucking, she started screaming, it was quite the show.

We continue on our way, but on the way home we meet the girl and the horse on the road.  Maggie was absolutely, positively terrified of that horse!  Poor little dog, she growled and woofed all the way home, and then the fun really began.  She was so skittish, she was barking and shaking and growling, and this went on for two, yes TWO hours.  We didn’t get her calmed down until bedtime.

Dancing With the Stars spooked her, any noise, and she was up like a shot, just barking her little head off.  Of course, Mollie took it all in stride.  Ho-hum, apparently this wasn’t her first rodeo.

This is totally not like Maggie to be afraid.  But just think about it, if you weighed less than four pounds, that bucking jumping huge horse would scare the beejus out of you, too.

All is well this morning, though – we’ve been cleaning the patio, readying it for fall.  I envision a lot of mums and cabbage plants sprinkled everywhere, but that’s all it is, a vision, I’m tired of watering, just don’t wanna mess with it anymore this year.  Know what I mean, Vern?

Vice-President, Mary sent this today, interesting…

I am under 45 years old,
I love the outdoors,
I hunt,
I am a Republican reformer,
I have taken on the Republican Party establishment,
I have many children,
I have a spot on the national ticket as vice president with less than two years in the governor's office.

Who am I?   

I am Teddy Roosevelt in 1900

Your daily dose of cuteness…

It was playtime tonight in Heavensville.  Mags is still going strong, Mollie is now asleep on that Sugar Daddy toy, she was just drifting off when I snapped her picture…

I’m working on it…

I haven’t been totally worthless lately, I’ve been revamping the Thanksgiving recipes for all of you, and hope to have them up in a few days.  Here is a sneak peak, I have another one to add to the index page, but this is what I’ll be posting.

Click on this picture, it will enlarge and you can check out the index.

There are some goodies in here, ladies.  If you’ve been around for awhile, you’ve seen them before, published in another format, but if you’re new to the Dish, you are in for a treat. tried and true family favorites for the Holidays.  Christmas recipes will follow these…

~ jan

Have you looked in the mirror lately?

I mean really looked into one, the 5X magnifying kind?  Geezy Pete, I took a long hard look this morning, while plucking a chin hair, and first of all, why do we have to have chin hairs in our post-menopausal age?  Is it not bad enough that everything else has gone to hell, and then these stray hairs stare at you in the mirror, and it’s totally horrifying.  We all have them, all of us do, but  nobody  ever talks about them.  It’s kind of like peeing when you sneeze.  Well, except my friends and I all talk about that.  Actually, we talk about chin hairs, too – we’re liberated women in our old(er) age…

I just clicked on my library account, and now they have my file picture right on my online account.  Holy crap, I saw it and it scared the beejus right out of me…  Now why did they have to go and put that picture on there. I know what I look like, I don’t need a visual reminder every time I check my account.  Well that does it, I just won’t check the damn thing anymore. 

And back to that mirror, not only do I  have to look at sags, bags, and wrinkles, now I have to cope with that hair I’m trying to grow out.  So for the next six months it’s gonna look just hideous, while its' growing, and then I will probably hate it and cut it anyway.  I just bought some Pantene Restoratives at WallyWorld, it’s supposed to repair hair damage from the past two years.  Imagine that, all the damage that’s been done in two years.  Do you believe everything advertisers tell you?  Well, usually I’m not a sucker, but that two year thing intrigued me…  Maybe I’ll luck out and have semi-damaged growing out hair…

I was watching the Emmy’s last night, and Candance Bergen was giving an award.  Now I saw a lot of older women, who were skinny, skinny, but Candance has put on the pounds.  I remember both of her parents had weight issues, so I’m sure genetics is rearing it’s ugly head with her, also.  She looked uncomfortable in her jacket and pants, and when she put her hands behind her back, she looked just like the rest of us.  Did she look pretty, of course not, she looked  godawful matronly, just like Moi, here..

Fuller figured women  can do all the makeovers they want,  Spanx it, play up the eyes, the hair, the jewelry, but fat is fat.  And let’s face it, old bodies aren’t pretty, fat or skinny.  Mary Tyler Moore was on the Emmy’s also, nobody cuter, in my book than MTM, who has never weighed much more than a hundred pounds soaking wet.  Well she had on a sleeveless bare dress, and her upper arms were scary.  Now why does she want to expose that jiggling skin?  Is it denial?  I just don’t get it.  She had a great hairdo, her face looked great, the body was wonderful, but she should have covered up those scrawny droopy arms.  So, skinny has problems, too, but she looked fantastic  anyway. Hey I would take skinny and droopy anytime over fat and plumped out wrinkles.  But then Iwas never thin like MTM, not even when I was in grammer school!  It’s all Mother’s fault, too, all those mashed potatoes and gravy and biscuits.  And desserts, we always had dessert in the house, always.   Oh, it was wonderful food, though.  Eeeeeks, just can’t win….

And speaking of fat, well you all know that I’ve banned Oprah this year, but I was clicking thru channels last week, and got a glimpse of her.  Oh my, the Big “O” has exploded.  She has blown up like a balloon at a birthday party.  She’s easy 250+.  I don’t get it, a lot of us, including yours truly, yo-yo diets, but she does it to the extreme.  And she has nutritionists, cooks, trainers,  all the best of the best, and she looks like she’s been hittin’ those mashed potatoes like there is no tomorrow.  She’s just enormous, I was shocked – wow, she really threw caution to the wind this summer and ate whatever she wanted…

Holy schmoly, I’m on a rant.  And it’s all because of that disgusting chin hair!!!  Well, that and eating those darned carrots and cheese at Kuntsfest Saturday, while lucky Vwas scarfing down a pit barbecue sandwich, German potato salad and apple dumplings…  Grrrrrrrrr