Pure bliss, it doesn't cost a lot...

What is your favorite lotion?  Not the newer ones, remember back to what you used as a teenager.  Mine was Jergen's, original scent, naturally.  I think that's the only scent Jergen's made when I was a teenager.  I love the cherry almond smell, and keep a pump bottle on the computer desk, it makes me smile every time I use it.  I keep Carmex on my computer desk, too, but that's a whole other blog...

I also have Jergens in my purse, and this fall I was in the car with John and I put some on my hands.  He immediately wanted to know what that smell was, he remembered it as well.

So if you're out and about this weekend, pick up an old friend, a favorite lotion from long ago, and see if it won't give you a smile, too.  And while you're at it, pick up a glass pot of Carmex and some Luden's Cherry Cough Drops.  It's a cheap thrill..

Oh, I wish you were all here right now...

Some dog is barking to Jingle Bells on the radio and the M&M's are going bonkers.  Maggie is circling, growling and barking, Mollie even got up from her nap to chime in.

Silly little dogs, this is funny beyond words...

Ribbon Candy and other wonderous Christmas treats...

This was the Christmas candy of my childhood.  Syrupy sweet, lemon, peppermint, spearmint,  I loved all the flavors!  It's still around, I sometimes buy it at CVS or Walgreens.  Still tastes the same, too.

I'm also a huge fan of chocolate covered cherries.  Daddy bought them for me every Christmas, nobody else liked them, so I rationed myself one a day, and ate the whole box.  Mother was a fan of filled hard Christmas candy, but I was never cared for the jellied centers.

We always had bowls of Christmas candy sitting around, nuts and a nutcracker in a wooden bowl, orange peelings and cloves  simmering on the stove, and Andy Williams crooning Christmas carols on the stereo.   I have wonderful Christmas memories of life in the country, snow on the ground, and you would think a fresh cut tree, too.  But oh no, we had the aluminum tree with the color wheel that turned the tree colors.  We had all blue bulbs, and we would turn off the lights and sit and watch the tree change colors.

When I was really young we did have a real tree with bubble lights.  I adore bubble lights, John and Deanna do, too.  I wish I still had Mother's, but they're long gone now.  Do you know how expensive the old bubble lights from the 40's and 50's are now?  They sell on eBay from $500-$750 a set.  Amazing, huh.

I'm not decorating this year, we're going to be with John and Deanna at Christmas, and neither one of us wants to drag everything out of the attic.  But when Abby is a bit older, we will recreate the sock monkey tree, I think she will love it.

It's been a busy time here, no blogging going on, but things are settling down now and I'll be around more. Hope you are all making great progress with your shopping.  And if you buy some ribbon candy this year,  eat a piece or two for me.  {;o)

~ jan

Let's talk about something a lot better than that old microwave...

Okay, I needed this smile after the morning I've had.  This is Miss Abigail on her way home from visiting the relatives this morning.  She's talking on her cell phone, brushing her hair.

Oh, is this cute or what?   Nothing like a grandtoddler to make your day!!!  Thanks for sending this, Dilly, it kind of puts everything into perspective about what's important in life!!!

I still hate that damn microwave!!!!!

Oh, do I ever hate the thing.  Remember my post a few weeks ago about the new microwave and how I wasn't liking it?  Everybody said, "just hang on, you'll get used to it, it will be okay."  Oh yeah, right.  Well I've hung on and I'm not getting used to it and I still hate it.  It's hard to operate, it doesn't work worth crap and do you know what happened this morning????

Oh, I'm still fuming.  Okay, here's my rant.  I've cooked my morning poached egg in the wave for years now, years, and I've never had a problem, never.  Put hot water in a mug, add a spash of white vinegar, a pinch of salt, slide my egg into the water and nuke for a minute fifteen seconds.  Comes out perfect every time.

I even managed to make it in this new disaster of a wave and it worked okay.

So this morning, I'm nuking my egg, pouring coffee and all of a sudden I hear the blast from hell from the area of the microwave.  It blew up... my egg BLEW UP!  It spewed egg and water all over the interior of the gawdawful contraption, and when I opened the door, it dripped blobs of egg down on my stovetop.  Oh, I'm seeing red, can you tell???

I would like to get rid of the damn thing, but I just bought it.  If this doesn't improve in the next thirty days, it's going on eBay.  But whatever you do, if you see my auctions, don't bid on it!!!

Even hubby doesn't like it, his popcorn is not popping like the old one, so that's a major issue in itself around here.

And how is your day going?  Mine is spouting profanity, as you can tell, which doesn't help at all, and once again reminding yours truly that Grammie has to clean up her mouth.  Little pitchers, ya know....

ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR