What I'm enjoying lately...

Okay ladies, time to roll out the "What's Jan Enjoying" blog.

Here's what interests me this spring. Oh, all of this stuff is hyperlinked, so you can check it out fast!

I continue to be a gossip mongrel. I make no apologies. I read People, TMZ, Perez Hilton, The Superficial and A Socialite's Life daily. Well, Janet Charlton, too, and others, but I won't get carried away. I'm way too old for this stuff, but I blame it on being brought up in the drug store where Mother worked and reading all those Photoplays and other "movie star" magazines.

I'm really getting into Google Reader. It took me awhile, even though Hooterville kept telling me how great it was, but then isn't everything Google does great?

I'm thoroughly enjoying Rosie's O'Donnell's daily video blogs. Scroll midway down the page of her site and check out her Monday Monday entry. Helene, her hairdresser is my fave.

I continue to be a dedicated scrapper. I'm not making a lot of pages these days, I'm more addicted to BUYING the stupid kits. It's a dollar here, $2.50 there, and before you know it, you're up to $20.00. Oh well, gotta spend it on something.

I still watch Y&R, actually I KIVO it, KI-VO, that's because I don't have TI-VO, I have KI-VO (I record it on my computer and watch a week at a time, well technically I guess thats CI-VO, you get the picture). The acting has gotten really bad lately, REALLY BAD, and now it's almost summer so they will be rolling out the teenyboppers to try and boost the summer ratings. Can't wait for that. :-( The spoof of this show, called the Genoa City News is an absolute hoot. If you like parodies, this one is a must read.

I'm really, REALLY enjoying Perfect Light Desserts by Nick Malgieri, and David Joachim. Everything I've made has been a hit. Fantastic cookbook, just fantastic. I just ordered The Perfect Scoop, an ice cream cookbook. I've gotta get some use out of that spendy Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker I bought a couple of summers ago. I get teased a lot by the family cause it just sits on the shelf.

I also bought a new kitchen chopper from Williams-Sonoma. I had their first version, this one is new and improved, love the fact that it makes perfect small dice and now it's self contained so it doesn't make a mess. It's a great gadget, one of my all-time faves!

And that's some of what I'm up to. What about all of you, what are you enjoying. The comment section of my blog is seldom used, but this is a great opportunity to click on it, send me a comment about what you are liking or hating, depending on your mood. Love that audience participation.

I also have several blogs that I read daily, mostly food ones. I can tell you about them, too, but that's another entry. I'm just killing time this morning, waiting to pick up my poor little Maggie from the groomer.

I'm so outta here....

Tomorrow's the day....

My poor little nappy headed Maggie is going for her first haircut. Her snarls and mats are out of control, and I'm afraid they are going to have to shear her. Pray for her, it isn't going to be pretty.

Oh, boy did Nisha do it this time....

First of all, I want you all to know that I have Nisha's permission to publish this about her. I would NEVER tell stories on my friends that would embarrass them without their permission. However, Nisha is the only person, other than myself, who sticks her foot in it on a regular basis. Well that's not entirely correct, both V and Trish manage to do this with some frequency as well. But Nish tops us all, she has gotten herself into more situations that you can ever imagine.

Now I need to tell you all that she is also a world class accessorizer. Always has been, the woman is really good at putting stuff together. And at an age when the rest of us have pretty much given up and wear what's comfy, Nisha is still out there working it with the best of them.

Okay, so now you get the picture. Last week, Nisha and Charlie were on a vacation in Hawaii, on a private island owned by Dole Corporation, it was quite the big deal. She called me several times, and it just sounded heavenly. The last night of her trip was a dinner sponsored by Dole and Charlie got some kind of fancy schmancy award, so they were REALLY visible.

Nish had put together one of her best outfits ever. White flouncy skirt, black tank, black and white polka dotted cardigan, wedge polka dotted sandals, and a black purse with yet another polka dotted bow and some kind of long black stoned necklace. She got rave reviews. Everyone loved he outfit, even the bigwig putting on the party told her how great she looked. Now this is pretty heady stuff for anybody, let alone a woman of a certain age, it was quite the compliment and Nisha was feeling pretty proud of herself.

She has been famous her whole life amongst her friends for her notoriously tiny bladder. So, naturally she gets up, walks aross the room in front of all those people to go potty and then comes back and when she almost gets to her seat, a woman gets up and whispers in her ear, "excuse me, but you have the back of your skirt tucked inside your underwear." OMG, can you imagine, strolling in front of all those people with your skirt tucked in your underwear. Of course, Nisha, seeing the humor in this has us both doubled over howling with laughter. And having been married 36 or 37 years, she's a pretty smart lady by now and of course didn't tell Charlie about it. So he was, and still is, clueless that his wife was parading around in front of all those corporate type honchos and their wives with her skirt hiked up in her underwear.

But wait, I'm not finished yet, yesterday when they were at the airport, she was trying to lift a piece of her luggage, tripped over it and went sprawling on the concrete, took a really hard fall, fell right on her kneecap and caused herself major pain. And yes, she did it in front of everybody, she is never lucky enough to do this stuff when nobody is looking.

The airport personnel, came running over, naturally afraid they would get sued, gave her an ice pack, and she's been nursing the kneecap ever since. One of the ladies traveling with her was afraid she would have broken her nose the way she fell and her luggage landed right on top of her.

Oh my, girlfriends, I could write a book about her. She's just a total joy, my friend Nisha. She makes me smile. And I just bet she made you smile too, tonight, reading this.

This is such a pet peeve of mine...

It absolutely frosts my cake when I'm out and about and people don't speak English. There is nothing ruder than people, in your presence, speaking another language that you can't understand.

Not long ago, hubby and I went thru the drive-thru at Fazoli's, and the hispanic teenager that was working the drive-thru window couldn't speak English. And he's working the friggin window! It was so annoying! And heaven help if you go to a Mexican restaurant and don't order EXACTLY off the menu. So many times if you ask your waiter a question, he looks at you like, huh, whatchutalkinaboutwillis???

And my biggest pet peeve of all is when I go to the grocery store and the food has Spanish labels on it. Oh, I put it back every time. It's SO wrong. And don't even get me started on those horrid automated menu's you get when you dial a business and they ask you if you want English or Spanish. It's bad enough that you have to spend fifteen minutes just trying to get to a REAL person, but when they want to know the language that's just the last straw! I used to have great success just punching '0' to get a real person, but they've cought on to that, most of the time now when you punch '0' the computer says it doesn't understand. Grrrrrrrrrr.

Cmon people, this is America - if you're going to live here, then learn to speak the language!

I just saw red...

As my regular readers to this blog know, I absolutely loathe Alec Bloviator Baldwin. I've ranted about this control freak of a man for years now and yesterday when I clicked on TMZ to see what the latest gossip was and heard his tirade against his young daughter I just absolutely saw RED. My blood was absolutely boiling as I fired off an email pronto to Hooterville and V, who both think he is as despicable as I do.

And now, on his website, he has apologized to EVERYONE. He doesn't need to apologize to EVERYONE, EVERYONE could care less about his sorry life, he needs to apologize to this young girl. This whole ongoing battle is not about his daughter in the first place. It is a male that was rejected by his wife, who no longer has any control over her and he can't handle it. I remember back in the day when they were dating, and he went to a psychologist because he was so in love with her that it had turned into an obsession and he couldn't function. Does this sound normal? That poor woman should have realized back then that the warning bells were going off and she should have gotten out then.

The critics of Kim Basinger need to step back and think what this woman must have endured at the hands of this man while she was married to him. She should not be criticized for trying to protect her daughter. She should be admired for having the strength to get away from him and the ability to fight for the well being of her child.

A child of divorce instinctively gravitates to the parent that is good to them, and rejects the one that is not. He says that he is a victim of alienation (when one parent turns the child against the other) and that he is writing a a book about it. A BOOK!!! He is trying to turn a profit out of his sorry excuse of a life. This woman protects her child because she knows what he is capable of. And now all of the world knows how vicious he can be, and no matter how much he whines and tries to excuse himself, the truth is out.

Now he and his high powered attorneys have gotten a court order to find out how TMZ got that tape in the first place. He's trying to redirect the blame once again away from his sorry ass to his wife, saying it's her fault this was leaked. HER FAULT, WHAT A FRIGGIN IDIOT HE IS! Somehow, I think this time, he will fail.

Everybody now knows HIM for the abuser HE is. Imagine a loving father calling his little girl a pig, I think NOT. Oh that nappy chested sorry excuse for a man should be banished from this child's life until she is old enough to decide whether or not she wants him in it.

And if you have been under a rock for the last twenty-four hours and haven't heard his tirade, you can listen to it by clicking here.

Do you ever wonder why?

I have all these posts about Maggie, and almost none about Munchie? Sweet Munchie is old now, she doesn't have many antics, she mostly just sleeps and bangs on her food bowl when it's empty. However, life is so different with a pup in the house.

Just this morning I was talking to V on the phone, Maggie was asleep in one of her favorite spots, the back of the couch, and all of a sudden there was this CRASH! A plate that was sitting on a stand on a table next to the sofa flew thru the air, landed on the fireplace hearth and smashed into bits. I got up, went in the living room, there was poor Mags, laying on the table in kind of a stupor, she had fallen off the sofa in her sleep and knocked the plate off. She's such a lightweight that she doesn't hurt herself, thank goodness.

Munchie wouldn't do this kind of thing, Munch couldn't even jump on the sofa. We call her our little budha dog, she's a little round furlady, now.

And so I blog about Maggie, who is just HILARIOUS. Munchie used to be this silly, too, but I didn't blog when she was just a young dog. Munch is sleeping on my lap as I write this, Maggie is staying away from the mean 'ole sofa, but now she's eyeing up the back of the chair....

It's initiated now...

I've been eyeing up Wacom Tablets ever since I started scrapbooking. My buddy V got one for Christmas, so she guided me in the right direction when I decided to buy one.

It arrived, bright shiny and new from Amazon.com last week, and I am really loving it. For those of you not familiar with a Wacom Tablet - it's this electronic tablet with a cordless pen, and you draw on it, and when you are in a software program like PhotoShop or Corel Draw, you can use it to draw on your computer screen. Or you can just use the pen instead of your mouse while surfing around on the internet.

Yeah, I know you're thinking, is Jan artsy, I never knew she could draw... Nope, I'm not artsy at all, for now, I'm just enjoying using it for my scrapbooking, cleaning up my backgrounds, erasing stray pixels, but who knows where it will lead.

And of course Maggie has already given it her stamp of approval. I have two little teeth marks embedded on the pen. Little imp sleeps on my computer desk, and she grabbed that pen straight away and chomped down on it. Was I upset, of course not -that pen looks so cute with those little Yorkie teeth imprints on it.

I do need to be careful though, Mags lives to chew on inkpens and eyeglasses.

If you want to check out that Wacom, you can do so by clicking HERE...

My two cents worth...

First of all, let me say that I am not particularly a Don Imus fan. The Neanderthal looking man, married to a woman young enough to be his daughter, is too crude and raw for my taste, and I personally think he could benefit from a good haircut, bath and some new clothes! Sure he stuck his foot in his mouth, and should be reprimanded for his remarks, and apologize to those young ladies, but should he be fired for this, cmon' people.

Shame on you, CBS, for firing this man while you pay millions and millions and millions of dollars to rap artists whose filthy vermin infested words permeate our airwaves and are heard over and over again by our children. Their nasty, suggestive, violent lyrics are imbedded in innocent children's brains as they listen to these vile songs over and over again. I listened to a black woman on the news last night say that what the rappers do is "artistic expression." Artistic expression my ass, how dare that woman try to pass that filth off as artistic expression.

And that brings me to Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson. Oh, what sorry excuses they are to our society and what a shameful disgrace they are to their race. There is no way that the intelligent black community that lives amongst us condones their reverse racist opinions. They look for ANY opportunity they can find to bring attention to themselves and rant on and on and on about the injustice done to the black race in our society when they could really benefit the black people by using their power to try and plant some seed of decency into these young black men's brains that they should be responsible for the women they impregnate and the children that are born to them, instead of abandoning them for a life filled with illegal drugs, violence and crime and expecting the government to take care of them.

But it's not just the black "leaders" that add fuel to this fire. Why is Hillary Clinton going to talk to these young women? Does she really feel the need to do this - of course not, she is doing it because it is politically correct. Of course Oprah jumped on the bandwagon yesterday, and why, because it was good for her ratings, that's why. And what about the nastiest, filthiest mouth of them all, Howard Stern. Why has he been allowed to stay on the airwaves for YEARS when he spouts obscenities of the worst kind daily. Could it be because his remarks are primarily directed at white women, and that makes it okay? And don't even get me started on that hypocritical, drug addicted Rush Limbaugh!

And who coined the "ho" phrase in the first place. It was the black community, that's who. They are the ones that started using that phrase, and they continue to use it, calling each other ho's, constantly. And do I think that's wrong - no, of course not, I actually think it's funny. So funny in fact that Jean and I have called each other the Hooterville and Heavensville Ho's for years now. My group of girlfriends in my condo complex call each other the Wolf Creek Ho's, and my good buddy V is affectionally known as the "Donut Ho." Shocking, for middle aged white women? I think not, it's just a part of our culture, and we are able to laugh at ourselves.

And that brings me to my final point, my own beloved little Maggie Moo with her nappy hair. Do I now have to worry that the ASPCA will come down on me for daring to talk about my Yorkie having nappy hair? That is just how ridiculous this whole thing is.

Any comments about this can be directed to me privately at nappyheadedheavensvilleho@gmail.com.

Poor pitiful me....

Me, who seldom gets sick, has a bug! Not one of those 24 hour things either, a full fledged virus. I don't have time for this, I have things to do. This sux, girlfriends! I feel so bad I didn't even check emails for a day...

All I do is sleep, and I ache and crave macaroni and cheese. Yep, Nish and I always say, we'll be on our deathbeds and still eating. ARughhhhhhhhhhhhh. And not just ANY mac and cheese either, it has to be Kraft Original, the Cheesiest. Thank goodness for hubby who makes it for me...

Back to bed.

Easter was ...... strange!

LC and I found ourselves alone this Easter. Lindsay's Dad was visiting them in Lexington, John and Tonia were building a fence for Oreo, hubby had to go to work at noon, and the weather was just horrid.

I got up, made us Easter brunch, then after he went to work, I gathered up the M&M's, tucked myself into bed for the afternoon and watched old Shirley Temple movies. Yep, I did, and it was actually fun!

Don't think I will want to spend every holiday doing this, but it worked yesterday.

I've been SO good lately, cutting out ALL the white stuff, but I made LC Nisha's strawberry angel food cake, so naturally I had a piece with him yesterday morning. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

I was starving all day, craving all the bad stuff. I'm off the white stuff for sure now. It wasn't pleasant. I'm back on track this morning, walked over a mile this afternoon. Feeling good...

All my fleurs are looking really pitiful. Heavensville suffered thru 25 degree nights, and it took it's toll. Better days ahead, though, and I'm back in the saddle on the walking track again...

Easter has been cancelled!

I know, I know, this is really bad, but it was too funny not to share.

Thanks Barb for the laugh of the day!

I love the black ones..... *sigh* none for me this year...

I've got a recipe for you...

Nisha shared one of her favorite EASY Easter recipes, it's posted on Jan Can Cook. Check it out here!

Old dogs are like old men....

We all know how an old man perks up when a pretty "young thang" is around. The old geezers make absolute fools out of themselves. Well, apparently, so do DOGS!

With Auntie Hooterville and Cousin Doughboy here this week, Albie, aka Doughboy, who is an elderly fifteen years old now, with just a wee bit of spread to his backside, turned into a frisky young pup again when Maggie Moo was around. She would tease him, wanting him to play with her, and he would bark and romp, chasing Mags around the living room.

Well, he would do it for a few minutes and then he would have to lay down and rest a bit, and then he would go right back and play some more. Silly old dog, we worried that he might have a heart attack. You can't really blame him though, that Maggie Moo is quite the hottie! So it's not only old men who like the younger ladies, apparently so do old dogs. But then, aren't most old men, old dogs? Ohhhhh, bad girl Jan, bad girl..... shame on you....

It's true though, isn't it ladies??? Men Schmen!

Nothing cuter...

Than Maggie Moo sniffing the spring fleurs. Hooterville is visiting for a few days, she's taking great shots, as usual, this one of my sweet little Mags is just SO cute.

Unfortunately, our gawjus spring is ending, weather forecasted in the high 20's four nights in a row in Heavensville. I'm afraid spring is going to be wrecked, as everything is pretty much in full bloom right now.

I'm still here...

Yikes, I haven't blogged, but no, even though some of you are wondering, I haven't overdosed on fiber! Life's been busy, Lindsay and Ryan were here for a couple of days, we've had Oreo all week, John was in Mexico, Tonia was flying, and the kennels were full for spring break. So we brought home the Granddog (cocker spaniel) after our visit with them last week in Nashville. The furkids all got along, actually, HOWEVER, Oreo taught Mags how to bark. FOR REAL, BARK!!

Maggie had been moseying along in life, giving the occasional woof, and then came Oreo, the barking wonderdog! Now Maggie thinks it's cute to bark. She barks at me, at her water bowl, at her food, she even barked at my beloved NPR when I turned on the radio. I don't think she quite has the hang of it, actually.

Of course it IS adorable, but I don't want a barky little dog. I already have Munchkin who goes ballistic whenever the doorbell rings. Maggie didn't seem to pattern Munchie, just Oreo!

And that's it, it's too pretty of a day to sit on the computer, I'm so outta here....

Anyone want to jump on the fiber bandwagon with me -

I read the following article this morning - It's very enlightening -

A lowfat vs. a high-fiber diet: for losing weight, should I pay more attention to the fat or the fiber content of the foods I eat?

Q My favorite cereal (Cheerios) has only 3 grams of fiber per serving, and the breads I buy have only 1 gram per slice. How many fiber grams do I need per day to help with weight loss, and how many should I look for in my breads and cereals?

A The National Academy of Sciences recommends that women under 50 years old consume at least 25 grams of fiber per day for good health. Research hasn't established a precise amount of fiber that aids in weight loss, but nutritionists believe that if most people met the 25-gram-per-day recommendation, national obesity rates would probably drop. (Some studies suggest that consuming an extra 14 grams of fiber per day may cause you to eat 10 percent fewer calories and lose about 4 pounds over four months.) High-fiber diets seem to be more effective for weight loss than lowfat diets, and a review of the published studies shows that people on a diet that is both low in fat and high in fiber lose three times as much weight as those on a lowfat diet alone.

This is likely because fiber makes you feel full, so you eat less. Also, foods that are high in fiber--such as beans, vegetables and fruits--tend to be low in calories, so you can eat a greater volume of food. Think about how much more satisfying it is to eat an apple (3 grams of fiber; 80 calories) than to drink an 8-ounce glass of apple juice (no fiber; 110 calories).

The average woman consumes only about half the recommended fiber intake, so it does take vigilance to get those 25 grams. As you've found, "you really have to become a label reader," says Kathleen Zelman, R.D., a nutritionist in private practice in Atlanta. Start your day with a cereal that contains at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. "There's nothing wrong with Cheerios, but if you're trying to meet the fiber recommendation, beef it up by topping it with fresh fruit." You also could mix Cheerios with a cereal that's higher in fiber, such as Kellogg's Raisin Bran or Multi-Bran Chex (which have 7 and 8 fiber grams per serving, respectively).

Look for breads that contain at least 2 grams of fiber per slice and are labeled "whole wheat" rather than just "wheat." Many wheat breads are simply white breads dressed up with a few sprinkles of whole grains and caramel coloring. For instance, Oroweat 12 Grain Bread, which, according to the package "combines ground whole wheat, corn, rye, oats, barley and brown rice" contains just 1 gram of fiber per slice--the same as Wonder Bread.

Okay, now for my 2 cents worth -

First of all if you aren't used to fiber, the key is to introduce it GRADUALLY and drink a LOT of water. If you don't, it will turn to concrete in your intestines and you will be incredibly bloated. Trust me, it isn't pleasant. Secondly, it takes about 3-4 hours for it to pass into your intestines, so if it is going to give you gas plan your activities accordingly. Know what I mean, Vern?

Oh, one of the most horrible days of my life was the day, when not being used to fiber, I ate beans, sweet potatoes and cabbage all at one meal. OMG, I was so bloated, I thought I would die - I called Ryan (pharmacist son) and after he recovered from a fit of hysterical laughing, he told me, "Mom, you've got to go get Gas-X." Well, I hotfooted it down to the drugstore, swallowed those tablets on the way home, and the repercussions from the Gas-X were almost as bad as eating all that fiber in the first place. I have NEVER been more miserable in my entire life. Have you ever heard the song -

Beans, beans, the musical fruit.
The more you eat, the more you toot.

Truer words were never spoken, trust me... Okay, enough of that...

I'm a big fan, thanks to Ry, Lindsay and Nisha, too, of La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Tortillas. These things are BIG - 10 inches, and give you only 80 calories and a whopping 14 grams of fiber per tortilla. I find them in the low carb section at my local Schnucks. I use them for wraps at lunchtime, sometimes put scrambled eggs and salsa in them for breakfast, and Ang gave me a great idea. Smear one with just a bit of peanut butter and a drizzle of honey, roll it envelope style, turning up the bottom edge before you start to roll, wave it for 10-15 seconds, it's really satisfying with a hot drink. Be sure and flip up the end, because that honey oozes when it gets warm, and you will have a mess! In my Weight Watcher days I used to toast these in the oven until they were crisp, top them with fat free pudding and cool whip, and eat the entire thing - great faux pie. I also used to make pizzas using them as crust, or cut in wedges and toast for chips.

I also love Fiber One Cereal - 1/2 cup serving is 59 calories and another 14 grams of fiber. If you're not a Fiber One fan, try this - sprinkle some on your salad, or mix it with your favorite cereal, or eat it my favorite way, mixed with frozen blueberries, Splenda and Vanilla Soy Milk. Those two foods alone exceed my whole daily recommended fiber intake, but I don't stop there, I also eat black beans or pinto beans daily, nuts, fruit and my beloved oatmeal I'm averaging between 40 and 50 grams a day.. Egads, I should be a twig! *sigh* middle age metabolism....

I did walk almost 2 miles this morning at Burdette Park, my favorite place in Heavensville. Oh it was glorious ladies, the ground was wet from an overnight rain, the pine trees were so fragrant, ducks were quacking, the woodpeckers were rat-a-tat-tatting the trees, the frogs were ribbeting, and the geese were swimming. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Spring...

Hubby and I were walking this morning, enjoying the 70+ weather, and I'm thinking about how our lives have changed. We live in a world of well landscaped, manicured lawns, already chemically treated for weeds and dandelions, paved streets and sidewalks, so unlike the springs of my childhood.

The springs I remember were a debris laden yard, full of branches and twigs from winter storms, soggy earth, full of daffodils and uneven grasses growing in clumps, puddles of water standing about, birds singing in the cherry trees, and my beloved ditch framed with blooming dogwood and redbud trees. The bright yellow forsythia would be a riot of color on it's banks, and the dead grasses that lined it would not yet be covered with summer's leafing vines.

The fields that surrounded us would be green now with winter wheat, and Mother's garden would have winter onions almost ready to eat. The lettuce and radish seeds would long ago have sprouted, having been thrown on the snow in February, because she knew from years of experience to put them down early for leaf lettuce ready to eat by Easter. And I'm also thinking that I much prefer the old way, the way spring was intended to be, with our rough, uncultured yard full of nature's bounty.

I'm just being nostalgic, I know, but the long ago country smells of spring, and the harsh visual remembrances of it are are really intense, this early spring morning in Heavensville...

Singing in the rain...

Have you ever been walking and you car is far away and it started to rain? Yep, that was me this morning. I was doing my mile at Burdette, walking with a nice lady named Trina, and it was sprinkling, but what the heck, we kept going. Then it started to REALLY rain, OMG, by the time I got to the car, I was totally soaked, hair plastered to my head. Talk about invigorating.

So here I sit, fresh from a hot shower, all bundled up in my winter bathrobe, with a mug of hot tea. Is it spring?

I posted a recipe on Eating Right for Chocolate Chip Cookies. I made them, they were wonderful, only 4 tablespoons of butter, too. 114 calories per cookie. But seriously, who just eats ONE chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven. *sigh* There is NO hope!!!!

I'm outta here, bathtime for the M&M's this morning - I'll be wet again by the time it's over!

Later 'gators...

I have proof positive...

And here it is. First of all let me say that this is a rather fetching man, don't you think? Unfortunately I met him in the obits. Yeah, I read the obituaries daily, hey at my age, you never know who's gonna be pushin' up daisies.

So anyhoo, my family has argued for years over whether or not people's ears grow as they age. I think I've even Googled it and it says it is a myth. And since families tend to post their relatives pictures with their announcements, usually a "before" and an "after," I've been checking them out. Just couldn't resist posting this dapper guy, whose ears DEFINITELY grew as he aged.

I know, I know, this is just insane, but you have to admit, his ears are definitely bigger in his old age. Egads, I just hope no family members read this blog. *blush*

I rest my case...

In my next life...

I've got it all figured out. If I can't live on a horse farm in Virginia and breed Yorkies, then I'm going to do this.... Now, before you think I've gone totally bat shit crazy ya'll, which in all probablility I have, and just don't realize it, this is what I want to do in my next life.

Well, first of all, you all must realize what a fixation I have with bread and yeast. I simply ADORE, ADORE, ADORE, the smell of bread rising. And this morning, when LC and I were out and about, we drove past the Bunny Bread plant, and it came to me in a flash! In some capacity, I want to work in a bread manufacturing plant.

I'm sure you are all going, WHAT THE...... but imagine the smell, imagine smelling that wonderful, doughy yeast ALL-DAY-LONG!!!! Would that be heaven or what?

Ya, I know it's a bit far-fetched, but oh lordy, is that smell intoxicating...

Just for you, girlfriends, a St. Paddy's Day *giggle*

Freebie at Starbucks Tomorrow...

Right on, Sisters!!!!

The girls on The View gave that godawful Donald Trump his comeuppance this morning - it's a must see video - check it out HERE!

Whether or not you are a Ro fan, and I am, you have to admit, she's a ballsy old dyke! And I loved it when the rest of the ladies got into the act.

Spring fever....

I have it, so does hubby, even the dogs have it. Everybody has a little more "spring" in their step this week. The tulip trees are blooming, the forsythia is ready to pop. Ahhhh, life is good. I'm listening right now to a red wing blackbird - my favorite bird sound of all - You can hear it, too - just go here, click on the Oakalee SONG wav file in the box at the top of the page - that's my childhood, living by the creek ditch sound. Ya it was a ditch, it was a pretty old ditch tho, overgrown on both sides, winding, twisting thru the trees kinda ditch... *sigh*

I go back often to my childhood home, either with hubby or Hooterville. Our house was in a valley and I love to park on the top of the hill that overlooks it, turn off the car engine, roll down the windows and just listen to the old familiar country sounds. You can't beat it! Nobody is living there now, and a few months back, Jean and I stopped, walked through the yard, sat on the porch. It was blissful.

And as I look into the living room, Little Miss Maggie Moo not only has dragged out every toy she could find, she has also plucked a silk geranium from a pot and shredded it in the floor. I can only imagine what is going to happen to my real flowers on the patio. I'm thinking I need to study my plants to make sure none are poisonious because my little pooch has a thing for blooms. She's a fleur girl, for sure!

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!

Egads, girlfriends, when we think we are looking old, take a look at Eddie Haskell, The Beaver and Wally.

Oh, I'm laughing out loud at this one...

Thanks to Janet for the HUGE chuckle...

Talk about a blast from the past!!!!

Gotta Check this out...

Jump over to the Jan Can Cook board to see the gawjus looking malted milk ball cake - oh my goodness....

Some people are clueless...

I have some new readers on this site who have not the slightest idea who V, Hooterville, Nish, Ang, the Dilly's, LC, Marti, The Trisher, The M&M's, my guys, and several others are..... Not to mention Heavensville, I doubt very seriously if most people even know (or care) where Heavensville is located! And Nana Sugar, just what is that all about???? Well.....

I'm going to compile a list of characters, put it in the right sidebar, but not tonight, tonight I'm going to bed with a trashy book (well, that's a stretch, Nora Roberts isn't exactly trashy) and a big mug of Peppermint Tea.

Scarlett will work on this tomorrow....

She's not dead, Fred...

It's 65 degrees today in Heavensville and I'm showing you a pix of Maggie Moo in front of the fireplace.

Just had to share - she loves to lay on her back, legs splayed, feeling the warmth of the fire. She's sound asleep in this picture... silly little dog....

Oh yeah....

Dinner tonight was due to a lot of input. Ry and Lindsay are here, Ryan cooked ribs, the way LC learned when he asked that lady in the grocery store with her cart heaped with ribs how she cooked them. Here's the scoop -

You take country style ribs, season liberally with Tony Chichiare's Creole Seasoning, black pepper and a light dusting of cayenne pepper. Put them in a roaster that has onions sliced on the bottom, toss in a few cloves of crushed garlic, add more onion to the top of the ribs, into the oven they go, covered, with no added liquid (375 for half an hour, then turn to 300-325 for a couple more hours). In the summer months we finish these off by putting them on the grill, dousing then with barbecue sauce and cooking til' they carmelize, but tonight he just put on the sauce and ran them under the broiler.

Then he made Lindsay's Aunt Mary's baked beans, which were AWESOME, and the rest of them had baked potatoes, but not me, I had rice. Uncle Ben's Converted to be exact. My friend Susan, now living in Chicago, introduced me to the joys of ribs and rice, it's an awesome combo.

Was it healthy? Of course not, but was it good - Oh, it was sublime....

It was a lazy day, Marti tooled over in her new Lexus - we all had to go for a spin, it totally rocks with every option known to man woman. Jeez, the woman even has air conditioned seats! For real she does, Linds says its the menopausal car. Hey, I know who I'm calling the next time I have a hot flash!! Way to go, Marti....

This wasn't one of my better ideas....

This morning I dropped a container of powder between my bed and my dresser that sits right next to the bed. And I need to tell you that it is a really HEAVY dresser with a marble top - so anyway, I'm trying to lean over and fish it out and I can't reach it - so I wiggle down farther, straining to touch the edges of it, no can do, so I manuever my head all the way in so that my shoulders are even with the dresser, and I grab it, then I start to back out but oh no, I can't because my head is STUCK. I'm talking REALLY STUCK - like there is absolutely no way that I can get it out. I can't budge the dresser, because the darn thing is heaver than anything you can imagine with that marble slab on top and I'm starting to panic.

I absolutely, positively cannot stand to be pinned in or pinned down, I have the worst claustrophobia known to man woman! My first impulse is to just pull my head out anyway I can, just get it out of there, but somewhere, inside my totally panicked brain, I'm realizing that I will do major damage if I do this. So I'm screaming for hubby who is in the garage, I'm REALLY SCREAMING LOUDLY for him to come RIGHT NOW!!!! Poor LC, he comes tearing into the bedroom thinking that I must surely be dying because of the panic in my voice and there I am with my rear in the air and my head totally stuck, and I'm screaming "GET ME OUT, GET ME OUT, GET ME OUT." By this point I'm starting to hyperventilate, I'm clammy, my palms are sweating, and I'm doing everything in my power to not just totally freak out and try and yank my head out. Poor hubby, he had to actually move the friggin dresser to get me unstuck.

My knees were like jelly, I was trembling, OMG, girlfriends, it was SO awful. And I'm thinking what was I doing? What if he wasn't home? What would I have done? What am I gonna be like in another few years???

My kids are already probably saying, "what are we gonna do about Mom." And I can't blame them, I am such a ditz - one of these days I'm gonna really get myself in a bind. And that would have been THIS day, had dear hubby not have been home.

So here I sit, telling you about it, when most people would just keep it to themselves. But, maybe some of you will remember this and stop and think before you do something really stupid. I'm not alone with my senility, a lot of you are doing stupid things right along with me as we age. Just thank goodness we can call each other up and talk about it and yes, we laugh about it.

But trust me, this wasn't funny at all - oh whatever was I thinking squeezing my head in that little space! Egads I am so STUPID!

I remember those days...

THE LAND OF SANDRA DEE

Long ago and far away,
In a land that time forgot,
Before the days of Dylan
Or the dawn of Camelot.
There lived a race of innocents,
And they were you and me,
Long ago and far away
In the Land of Sandra Dee.

Oh, there was truth and goodness
In that land where we were born,
Where navels were for oranges,
And Peyton Place was porn.
For Ike was in the White House,
And Hoss was on TV,
And God was in his heaven
In the Land of Sandra Dee.

We longed for love and romance,
And waited for the prince,
And Eddie Fisher married Liz,
And no one's seen him since.
We danced to "Little Darlin'",
And sang to "Stagger Lee"
And cried for Buddy Holly
In the Land of Sandra Dee.

I'm fruity, not flowery....

Let's talk about smells, specifically how our house smells. I have a neighbor, Janet, whose house always smells WONDERFUL. She told me that it's due to Bath & Body Works Plug-In Diffusers, you know those little thingies that you plug into the walls. She tends to buy what's on sale, mostly flowery scents, and her house always smells really fresh.

Marti went out and bought scents from Bath & Body Works for her house, and again, it smelled great. She bought flowery scents, too. So, naturally I have to jump on the bandwagon, and I load up with all kinds of scents. I had brown sugar vanilla in the den, and clean linen in the bedroom, and some kind of flowery scent in the living room.

Lindsay and I were shopping a couple of weeks ago and I decided I needed to try Juicy Nectarine. Unfortunately they were sold out at our store, but she picked one up for me on her recent trip to Nashville.

I'm in love. Oh, I can't tell you how good this smells, ladies. No more flowery scents for me, nope, it's fruit for me from now on. I should have realized this because Yankee Candle's Pineapple & Citrus has been my fave for a couple of years now. And ever since Ang introduced me to the Febreze scent machine, I've been using their Tropical Scent Stories Disks. I've never been a vanilla girl like Ang and V, Nisha, too. Never been a spicy/cinnamony type either, too 80's for me. But I've found my niche with the fruity stuff... It's ME, it's REALLY ME!!!

And the clerk at Bath & Body Works told me that they have a new pineapple scent coming out this month. I'm SO there... I'm replacing EVERY ONE of my plug-ins with Juicy Nectarine!

If you aren't on to these things, give them a try. They have a huge assortment, they smell mahvelous, dahling, and you can decide if you are a fruity or a flowery girl....

I got this note from Cyn tonight...

Seems like I'm not the only one eating oatmeal, and she's only in her 30's! Here's what she had to say about the perfect oats -

I hate to tell you, but since last summer, I have been queen of the Oatmeal.  I live for it.  I eat it for breakfast everyday--and sometimes have it for dinner, too.  In the summer--sometimes breakfast and lunch.  The standard instant is too sweet.  Sometimes I can't get the seasoning in the old fashinoned right.  This is the magic formula.  (after MUCH experimentation)

Into a bowl, but 1 pack of Quaker Weight Control Maple and Brown Sugar (I like it b/c it isn't as sweet)
Then add,
1/4 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
1/4 cup of milk (I use whole b/c Alisha does)
3/4 cup of water
Microwave it for 2 minutes
Add 6 almonds.
Add a sprinkle of salt, stir,  and........heaven!

It's official, I'm old!!!!

I just ate oatmeal for dinner supper. That's it, it's all over, now. I've been teasing Hooterville about eating cereal for dinner supper for years, now I'm doing it.

Holy Batman and Robin, I actually I ate OATMEAL for dinner supper and I liked it, I really liked it! It's a sad day in Heavensville, girlfriends a sad, sad day....

It's a new month, a new look...

Thumbs up to the talented artists at KB&Friends for the elements I used to construct my header. The goofy looking little leprechaun reminds me of an old nerdy grade school teacher of mine... Oh, he was such a trip, he used to stand in front of class, with his pants belted and hiked up underneath his armpits and would stand there in front of us and daily scratch his nether regions. As you can imagine, he was NOT one of our more popular teachers. Harmon Stein, that was his name, now that's a blast from the past, I haven't thought of that old fart in years! And do you know that our grade school secretary is STILL the grade school secretary at my old school, Booth Elementary. OMG, and I'm fifty-seven years old!!! She is well into her 80's and they say she is still as sharp as a tack! Talk about a TRIP!!! You go, Lois!!!

I've been SO nostalgic lately, ladies... Ever since my gleaning popcorn post, I've thought of all kinds of childhood stories to share, and I will. You will all find it boring, I'm sure, but it's a healthy thing to do - talk about your childhood... I didn't think mine was all that unusual at the time, but when I put pen to paper, I realize that it was far from normal. A single Mother, young daughter, living in the country on a dirt road, heating with a coal stove, no television, no running water, no bathroom. Jeez Louise, I'm beginning to sound like the Waltons! But on a more positive note, the lack of television forced me to read, to listen to classical music, it was actually a gift that has stayed with me thru my life. Well, I also listened to the Grand Ole' Opry, but I have no love for twangy, hillbilly music. Hey, two outta three ain't bad....

G'nite John Boy...

Boy, do I have an opinion about this!!!

Paul McCartney's estranged wife, Heather Mills, says her prosthetic leg should not pose a problem for her when she competes in a U.S. dance competition reality television show.

She told TV entertainment show "Extra" in an interview set to air Wednesday that "it's very unlikely" her prosthetic leg will "fly off" when she competes on "Dancing With the Stars." She is the show's first contestant to have an artificial limb.

To prevent such an incident, she said she will wear a special strap.

And what do I, a fellow amputee think about this. Well, you didn't ask, but here goes -

First of all, I would doubt very seriously if her leg flew off, but it would be pretty funny if it did. And second of all, I can still shake my booty with the best of them, you dance mostly from your hips, not your ankles, but those intriquete steps will pose a real challenge for her and she is gonna have to be one helluva dancer to not look awkward. Fatigue will be a real problem for her, too, because she is going to have to expend so much more energy dancing than her co-stars that it will be extremely grueling for her. If she overworks herself in rehearsals, she will have to deal with friction burns on her leg, which will be horribly painful.

And she's been an amputee long enough that she should be past the stage where she is trying to prove to herself and everyone else that she is "normal", because she isn't, for pete's sake she is missing a foot! And I don't care how much she pays for a fancy schmancy prosthetic leg, and even if she gets out there and dances her little heart out, there are going to be moments when she looks "unnatural."

What will interest me is to see how they costume her - if her costume flares high, people are going to see that strap, and it isn't pretty, trust me.

My question is why the hell is she doing this? What is she trying to gain from this? Sympathy? Admiration? Acceptance? Or maybe she is just looking for attention? But in my opinion, this is just not right. Sorry gang, I can't jump on the Heather Mills bandwagon on this one.

I'm sure there are radical amputees jumping on their soapboxes and saying, "way to go, Heather" - but not this lady. Most amputees are just average people, who don't want to be singled out for their "handicap." Does it bother me one whit that I have no feet, or that people know it. Of course not, I have absolutely no problem telling anyone that I'm an amputee, in fact I've been known to gleefully tell rude people that I'm a double amputee just to get their shocked reaction. Yeah, I know, I'm a little devil but sometimes people deserve it. But seriously, I'm really proud of myself that I manage to get up and walk on my own two feet every single day but I don't feel like I have to broadcast it to the world.

I think this silly woman needs to step back, be grateful for what she has, and not put herself out there for John Q. Public to ridicule. And trust me, they will - the late night talk show hosts will have a field day with this one. And I will feel no sympathy, this was her choice. Silly, silly, woman...

Hi from Heavensville....

I've been a busy little bee lately, and haven't posted, but I did want you all to know that munchiebusiness.com has been down, I'm still trying to get this stuff switched to new server - it's working now, but if you can't access this page thru munchiebusiness.com over the weekend it's because I'm making the switch. You can always gain access by going directly to http://jansdailydish.blogspot.com/

Anyhoo, I wanted you all to know that I made the oatmeal cookie recipe that I posted on Eating Right last week. They were WONDERFUL. I'm an oatmeal cookie freak, and these cookies were REALLY good.

I just did a few tweaks to original recipe, which I'll add to the recipe on the Eating Right site.

Here's how I changed recipe - I used Cinnamon Applesauce instead of plain, then added an additional 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon - I also thought batter was a bit thin, so I added an additional 1/2 cup or so of oatmeal - they turned out PERFECT. Only 2 tablespoons of butter in this recipe, ladies...

Give them a try - you can access them here!

I also need to tell you all about Lindsay's Mom's recipe for Pork Chops with Sauerkraut and Mashed Potatoes, I'll do that tomorrow. It's late, I'm outta here....

What would I do without Nisha, she always comes up with great ideas...

John called me on his way home from work this evening. Tonia is traveling, he had to have a dip for work tomorrow. I recite all our old tried and true ones, nothing was ringing his chimes. So I told him I would call him back, then I get on the phone to Nisha.

She recited all of her old tried and trues, I was going, no, I don't think that's what he wants, so then she says she was at a party recently and somebody had Black Bean Salsa that was good, but she didn't have the recipe.

So I Google it, find the following recipe, read the great reviews, and the tweaks for it that people used, texted it to John's phone, he picked up the ingredients at the store, and I would imagine that it's chilling in his fridge right now.

I'll update you on how it turned out, it sounds great - I posted recipe on Jan Can Cook - the tweaked recipe - we added juice of a lime to this and minced garlic. You could also add jalapenos if you want it really spicy. I personally would omit the cilantro, but John is a fan, so he was chopping some to mix in and then using it to garnish.

Here's the recipe.

She's a member of the horsey set....

You all know too well the trials and tribulations of poor little Maggie's nappy hair. I have done EVERYTHING but shave her ala Britney Spears trying to get the tangles out. Despite my best efforts with shampoos, conditioners, Lindsay's pricey Redkin stuff, she just keeps getting worse as her adult coat is emerging.

So today, out of desperation I go to Rural King and tell them I want to see their Mane 'n' Tail collection. They didn't have any! DIDN'T HAVE ANY, IT'S RURAL KING FOR PETE'S SAKE....

Nope, they told me to go to Sally's Beauty Supply... So off we go, me and Mags to Sally's where I purchase on sale, and with a coupon, no less, a bottle of Mane 'n' Tail Horse Detangler...

I come home, attempt to spray it on Maggie, but she's in a playful mood, wants no part of that cold spray on her underbelly. So I wait til she's fast asleep on my lap tonight, give her a few squirts, start brushing and hot damn, the tangles are coming out. Still a chore, but it works, IT REALLY, REALLY WORKS!!!

Jan and Mags, doin the Happy Dance tonight, Happy Dance, Happy Dance....

Poached Eggs, Toad-in-the-Hole and other such breakfast triviolities...

I'm not even an egg person, so I don't get why I have this obsession with poaching eggs. Now Trisher, she's the egg woman, she boils a dozen at a time and eats them daily, well not the whole dozen, she just stores them in her fridge. Trust me, I know this because I've borrowed enough of them when I need one for a salad. Anyway, I think it's just that it's the eggs/spring thing, and wishful thinking for me, and memories of making the boys Toad-In-The-Hole (cut a hole in a slice of bread with a round juice glass, put a pat of butter in a skillet, and when it starts to sizzle, put in the bread, break an egg in the middle, toast one side, flip toast the other) that made me Google how to poach an egg this morning... Now I used to have this little handy-dandy egg poacher for Ryan, since he loved them, but it's long gone, so I did it in the skillet (small skillet, 2 teaspoons of vinegar, a dash of salt in water boiling at a simmer) boiled it for 3 minutes, lifted it with a slotted spoon to my plate, doused it with Hot Sauce and salsa and it was pretty good. Would have been better on a toast point, but that's another day...

And speaking of Hot Sauce, it was time to throw out the old, purchase the new, so I bought Frank's Hot Sauce, came home, told Hooterville what I bought, she's saying, "oh, no, you got the wrong one, Louisiana Hot Sauce is way better, she's right of course, she's always right, the Louisiana Hot Sauce is lots better, I started dousing it all over my taco salad, and when that was wonderful, I started putting it on EVERYTHING. Kind of reminescent of when a kid douses all of their food with ketchup! Am I regressing? With hot sauce? Probably, but who cares... Works for me...

Now go poach yourself an egg and see how it works for you....

Popcorn...

Late last night we were watching FoodTV, and it was the story of Orville Redenbacher. I was watching his early years, and it brought back a flood of memories from my own early years.

I was telling Ryan and Lindsay how, as a child, we would glean popcorn. The farmers in our area always grew fields of popcorn and in the fall, after they harvested their crops, Mother and I would take burlap sacks and walk the fields, picking up the ears of corn they missed. We would fill our bags, dragging them behind us, and then would sit around a wood stove in the evenings and shell the ears of corn into quart fruit jars. And did we throw the corncobs away, nonono, of course not, we threw very little away, Mother would save them in a bucket, dip them in kerosene and throw them in our wood heating stove to get the fire going. OMG, this sounds like something from Little House on the Prairie. But you have to remember, this was fifty years ago in rural Southern Illinois... Both of the kids were looking at me like I had totally lost it, and it does sound rather bizarre to talk about, but that was the life of a country girl in those days.

The best part was popping the corn right away. When fresh picked, it still had a high moisture content, so the kernels wouldn't actually pop, they would just swell to a large size and they were really crunchy, and REALLY good...

But it was not a good time walking the fields, picking up that corn. It was usually muddy, and cold, and the bags were heavy, but we did it, and it was free. And to think that today, we just go pluck a jar off the shelf at the grocery store, for over about $4.00 for a quart of Orville and take it home to pop.

Life is definitely much better, now... Well, except for the $4.00 a quart....

Whatever was she thinking???

I just wonder why this woman would go out looking like this. Do you think she looked in the mirror before she shashayed out in public looking like this and went, "damn I look hot."

Just had to post this for your viewing pleasure this Friday evening. I'm sitting here just shaking my head. I may be getting old, and I'm far from a prude, but this is just WRONG!!!

Talk about drumsticks!!! Egads, woman, cover those up!

Healthy Grocery List

I just published a great healthy grocery list on Eating Right. You might want to give it a look.

My most memorable Valentine's Day....

It was not an ahhhhhhhhhhhh, it was an OH, NO!!!! Hubby and I had been married for about 12 years or so, and he comes home with a Valentine's Day present. I open it up, and it's an exercise suit! Today, I would think it was a great gift, but when you're in your mid 30's, it's not exactly romantic, know what I mean, Vern.

I was NOT a happy camper, and I let him know about it. Poor feller, he thought he was being such a good boy, and I acted like a total shrew about it.

Oh well, live and learn. Here we are on our 35th+ Valentines Day. It isn't exactly romantic this year, either, but I'm older and wiser and totally content just to be here and have him with me.

Egads, I'm getting SO old....

I so enjoy a good bowl of oatmeal in the morning... Oatmeal... OATMEAL??? I wouldn't have eaten oatmeal in my younger years for anything, now I think it's sublime. LC, too. Not the instant stuff, not the 3 minutes quick cook stuff, or the steel cut oats, but regular, old fashioned oatmeal. Actually, the best I've found, except for Trader Joe's, which I don't have access to is Wal-Mart's store brand of Great Value Oven Toasted Oats. They come in this huge box, are dirt cheap, and they have a wonderful flavor.

Cooked til it's creamy, I add Splenda, lots of Saigon Cinnamon (buy it at your local grocer, Saigon Cinnamon is far and away the most fragrant cinnamon you've tasted) and a healthy splash of Fat-Free Half and Half. Sublime, I'm telling ya, sublime...

Old age is rolling right in, ladies, but not to worry until I switch to Cream of Wheat (no teeth, no chewing) and start eating the stuff for dinner!

How true this is...

This was on a Yorkie message board this morning. This is so me....

Grow Old With Dogs
When I am old... I will wear soft gray sweatshirts... and a bandana over
my silver hair..... and I will spend my social security checks on wine
and my dogs. I will sit in my house on my well-worn chair and listen to
my dogs' breathing. I will sneak out in the middle of a warm summer
night and take my dogs for a run, if my old bones will allow... When
people come to call, I will smile and nod as I show them my dogs... and
talk of them and about them... ...the ones so beloved of the past and
the ones so beloved of today.... I will still work hard cleaning after
them, mopping and feeding them and whispering their names in a soft
loving way. I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel
and I will be an embarrassment to all... especially my family... who
have not yet found the peace in being free to have dogs as your best
friends.... These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your
footfall... and eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to
greet you as if you are a God. With warm eyes full of adoring love and
hope that you will always stay, I'll hug their big strong necks... I'll
kiss their dear sweet heads... and whisper in their very special
company.... I look in the Mirror... and see I am getting old.... this is
the kind of person I am... and have always been. Loving dogs is easy,
they are part of me. Please accept me for who I am. My dogs appreciate
my presence in their lives... they love my presence in their lives......
When I am old this will be important to me... you will understand when
you are old.... if you have dogs to love too. ~Author Unknown

There is life out there at 8am...

I've pretty much been in hibernation, but I dragged my lazy butt outta bed, and met Ang at Starbucks this morning for coffee. Dunno if it was seeing Ang, the caffeine, or being out amongst the living, but I feel mahvelous, dahling..... Probably a little bit of all three.

Nothing like a little jazz in a coffee house, a good friend and a cuppa java early in the AM.

Now ain't this a crock???

I just got a newsletter from Oprah titled - How to Age Brilliantly and Love Yourself from the Inside Out...

Ya right... Nobody ages brilliantly that I've ever seen. We all look like we're heading to Cuba things are sinking so far south. I'll think of loving myself from the inside out the next time I'm sitting at my 6X magnifying mirror looking for errant chin hairs.

But, if you've a mind to check out this info, plus makeup tips for the "mature" woman, hey have a go at it.... Good luck and I'll check back in a couple of years to see how it's all working out for you....

Here's the click!

It's me, it's REALLY me!!!!!

pro·cras·ti·nate

To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness

That's me!!! I know better, I realize that doing whatever needs to be done doesn't require as much effort as putting it off for DAYS and DAYS and DAYS!!!! I'm lots better than when I was younger, but I still do it.

I'm so boring today, I haven't read anything interesting online, no funny news to tell, I trimmed the fur on Mags ears this morning, that's about the extent of my excitement. I did make the grilled bananas that I posted on Eating Right last week for breakfast. And they were just as good as HungryGirl said they were. Even hubby gave them a thumbs up.

Just had to post the following so you can all go around all day with this song in your head!!! And me, I'm going to go put something off, but I'm going to be singing while I'm doing it... nononono, bad girl, Jan, bad girl....

Garden Party

- Artist: Rick Nelson
- peak Billboard position # 6 in 1972
- inspired by Rick's experience at a Madison Square Garden concert
- Words and Music by Rick Nelson


I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories and play our songs again
When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name
No one recognized me, I didn't look the same

CHORUS
But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well.
You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself


People came from miles around, everyone was there
Yoko brought her walrus, there was magic in the air
'n' over in the corner, much to my surprise
Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes wearing his disguise

CHORUS

lott-in-dah-dah-dah, lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Played them all the old songs, thought that's why they came
No one heard the music, we didn't look the same
I said hello to "Mary Lou", she belongs to me
When I sang a song about a honky-tonk, it was time to leave

CHORUS

lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah

Someone opened up a closet door and out stepped Johnny B. Goode
Playing guitar like a-ringin' a bell and lookin' like he should
If you gotta play at garden parties, I wish you a lotta luck
But if memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck

CHORUS

lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)
lot-in-dah-dah-dah

'n' it's all right now, learned my lesson well
You see, ya can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself

And what did I do this blustery day???

Sat here all day, built a new Eating Right page. It's definitely different, definitely green PISTACHIO!!! Hey, I went outside my box for a change...

I have soup simmering on the stove, the fire is blazing in the fireplace, the M&M's are snoring beside me. Yeah, it's a good thing....

Maggie doesn't like football...

Ryan and Lindsay are Superbowling in the living room with Munchie sleeping close by, Mags and I are in the sunroom, she alternates between woofing at the speakers and shaking. She just doesn't care for the sport... Neither do I. Just doesn't ring my chimes...

Ry is making the Williams Sonoma recipe for stuffed meatballs that I posted back in January on Jan Can Cook. Hubby is on his way home from work, and it's colder than a well digger's butt in Heavensville...

John and Tonia were here yesterday, we had a great day, just a family weekend.... Works for me.....

Bananarama

I just posted yummy sounding, HEALTHY, banana recipes on my Eating Right blog. Check them out....

For ANYONE out there who is trying to let their hair grow...

I feel your pain. I'm determined to let my layers grow, let my hair grow to a below the chin something or other. I've tried doing this for a year now, and everytime I cave and get it cut. I've been short and spiky since I was fifty. That was seven years ago. Time for a change. I want a softer look, to go with my softer body. arughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

And not only am I letting my layers grow, for the first time since high school I'm letting my BANGS grow. It's quite the ordeal...

And just when I am all settled in with my complaining for the day, something happens that makes me realize that I need to just live in the moment and enjoy the day for what it is. And it happened while I was..... making my bed. Making my bed??? Yep.

I happened to be "trying" to make my bed with a three pound bundle of energy on top of the sheets. Ms. Maggie Moo was a doggie dynamo this morning. She was barking and growling, and tugging on my covers. It's hard to be in a bad mood when you have this adorable little furball just giving it everything she's got.

So we played. We played peek-a-boo with the blanket, we played tug-of-war with the sheets. She barked, she growled, she jumped on the pillows, then she ran laps on the mattress. It was so funny, I just laid back on the bed and cracked up. And then she covered my face with doggie kisses.

It's still cold, my hair is still funky, but Munchie is asleep by my side, and Mags, tired now, is asleep in my lap... and life is good....

Whatever was I thinking???

Remember a couple of months ago, when I was embracing the seasons, telling you that I accept winter. What was I thinking? I'm SICK of winter, now. It's cold, really cold, and snow is forecasted for this week, and all I want to do is tool around in Milly with the M&M's...

I'm watching weather now, sleet is headed our way tonight. How fun is that?

So the next time I'm on my soapbox about something or other, email me and yank my chain... Jeez, Louise, it's cold....

Just in time for Valentine's Day...

The post office has issued a new stamp and it's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Just wanted to give you all a heads up on this one. Now run right down to your local P.O. and
stand in line for an hour and get yourself some of these!

I'll be looking for my "stamped" valentine in the mail from you.... *giggle*

~ Jan

Such sad news...

The Associated Press reports Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized this morning, according to one of the horse's co-owners.

I just saw this beautiful speciman on the news yesterday. His foot was abscessed and they had to do additional surgery. They were walking him, he was throwing his hind foot badly, but oh the magnificance of the animal. His face was beautiful.


So sad...... Soar with the angels, great beast...

Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.....

Okay, this is how I now look. My hair pretty much looks like Arnie's, and he has a BAD dye job.

Actually, I'm a bit lighter than him, but similar...

On the positive side, my eyebrows look great!!!

So what's my solution... the same solution I always have.. MAKEUP!!!!! Lots of eye makeup, and I'm thinking my blush color is just not right, so I dig out an old Clinique Berry Stain color, put it on my cheeks, put on all that eyemakeup, shiny lipstick....

Now, I look like a bad imitation of an OLD Kewpie doll. All I need is hoop earrings and false eyelashes. Is that next??? I think NOT!!!!

It isn't really all that bad, not really. Really it isn't. But I'm on my way to the store to buy Tide, just in case. Oh what a day, what a day, what a DAY!!!!

What have I done now???

When I sent LC to the store this morning, I told him to get me hair color. So he's calling me from the color aisle in WallyWorld, I told him I wanted medium golden blonde, which I have been using for about a year now. My hair was just way too blonde, and I've been slowly going darker, but I'm thinking I might like to go a bit darker even still, so I told him to also pick me up a dark golden blonde and I would decide later which one I would use. Well, it's later... He got some new natural product from Loreal' and it has no peroxide in it. So I thought, what the heck, I'll try it.

And so here I sit, with it on my hair, and it's getting darker, and darker, and I'm just kinda watching it turn this funky color. But I can't wash it out yet, it isn't time...

Oh, I know tomorrow I'll be sitting around with Tide in it, trying to get it lighter. Lordy, lordy, whatever was I thinking? I'm thinking the problem is not the HAIRCOLOR, it's the WEIGHT. I should be "dieting" instead of "dying," know what I mean Vern...

Oh, but that's not all. In the meantime, I decided to wash my pillows. Well the washer was all lopsided, it was walking on me, I readjusted the pillows again and again, I had put two different types of pillows in there, one was polyfilled the other was, omg, it was FEATHERS.... Now why did I do that? So the polyfill one is relatively spun out, the feather one is totally water laden, I take out the polyfill, put it in the dryer, try and spin out the feather one again, but OH NO, it will NOT spin - kerthunk, kerthunk goes the washer, so I'm thinkin' where is that damned LC when I need him.... Arughhhhhhhhh.... So I lean in, mind you I'm still in my nightshirt with this crap all over my hair, I pull out the pillow, and I'm leaning into it, trying to squish out the water so I can dry it. I'm leaning on it with all my might, pushing on the darned thing, and by now my nightshirt is totally watersoaked, but I manage to get a reasonable amount of water out of it, hopefully enough that I can put it in the dryer without it short circuiting and electrocuting me. But now I have this "gunk" on my hair, and I'm wet, so I yank off the nightshirt, no way can I put another one over the hairdye, so now I'm sitting here, totally naked, totally pissed, blogging this. If the doorbell rings I'll just DIE!!!! Meanwhile, my hair is starting to look this awful mousy brown color, oh yeah, and I put the stuff on my eyebrows, too... oh what a day, WHAT- A- DAY!!!!!

Update later....

It's a three ring circus in Heavensville this sunny Friday morning....

Usually I break up bathtime for the M&M's into two days. It's quite a job giving them both a bath in the same morning, but I it was up early today, so I decided to do them both and get it over with, it wouldn't be a biggie. Munchie was first, I gave her her bath in the kitchen sink, blew her dry at LC's desk in the garage. She's such a good girl, she just sits quietly and lets me do whatever.

And I must admit, Mags has turned into a trooper as well. She used to try and escape out of the sink, but since we do this weekly, she's into the groove, she just sits there and lets me stream water over her without a struggle. I usually dry her at my dressing table, but since I was already setup in the garage for Munchie, I scooped her up in a warm towel and took her out there for her blowdry.

Well, first of all, LC had just left for WallyWorld, so the normally 60+ degree garage had cooled down considerably since Munchie's bathtime. Linds had given Maggie her pricey Redken straightening serum to see it it would help with my constant struggle with tangles in her nappy hair, so I applied a dab of it, I started drying her, and she's off the desk in a shot, bounces off my lap and heads for the hills, she was this little soggy streak, heading for the kitchen.

Meanwhile, I'm making caramel corn for hubby and Ryan and Lindsay, who will be here tonight, and my timer is beeping because it's time to stir it in the oven. So I give it a quick stir, find Maggie in the den, laying on her back on the couch, wriggling for all she's worth in an attempt to get herself dry. I scoop her up, head back to the now frigid garage, put her on the desk, fire up the dryer and bam, she's off again. The phone is ringing, it's LC from the store, so I talk to him, find Maggie once again in the den, ON THE COUCH AGAIN, running back and forth as fast as she can trying to get dry.

Duh, the light dawns, it's the sound of the garage hairdryer she doesn't like. It has a high pitch whine, while mine has a lower sound to it. So we head to my dressing table, she sits on my lap like the little sweetheart she is and I get her dry, FINALLY...

And that's my little Friday tale from my speck o' the net.... Never a dull moment with the M&M's......

Sleepin in the sun.... what a life...

It's a bright , sunny day in Heavensville, this cold January morning. The girl's are sleeping on the sunroom sofa. Maggie is in the back, nested in behind Munchie.

Why do i ALWAYS think about food???

Hooterville says I think about food more than anybody she has ever known. That woman NEVER thinks about it. I swear she can go around on empty all day if she's busy shootin pix. I wish I could do that. Nish and I always say that we will both we eating on our deathbed. No matter how sick we are, we STILL eat. And no matter WHAT I'm doing, when it's mealtime, I have to stop and eat. I just can't run on empty.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about chicken potpie. Now Tonia makes a killer one, it's SOOOO wonderful. I seldom make them, but I've been known to throw back a few Swanson's in my day... No Banquets tho, they only give you a top crust. Miz Piggy, here, wants the bottom crust, too. But of course, the Mother of all Frozen Pot Pies has to be Marie Calendar. The crust is made with lard, and it has a gadzillion fat grams... It's good, not as good as T's, but the best "store bought" available.

I remember as a little girl, Mother would come home from work, bake us both Swanson Beef or Chicken Pot Pies and a fix a salad with Wishbone Italian dressing, the mix in the little packets that you pour in the bottle and shake. She would chop celery and onion into a really small dice, and put it in the salad, tossing it in her big stainless steel bowl, the one that I now use daily in my own kitchen. We would set up the tv trays in the living room, and eat "supper" watching Chet Huntley and David Brinkley on the NBC evening news. Oh, I loved that meal. Jeez, Louise, what made me think of that??? Talk about a trip down memory lane....

I Googled Marie Calendar, looking for nutritional information, and found the recipe for their Pot Pie. I'm posting it on Jan Can Cook.

Doonesbury, tellin it like it is.... awesome 'toon

Click on Icky Donald to Enlarge and Read

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Busy little bee...

No time to blog, but I did take time to post some Super Bowl Recipes on Jan Can Cook. Hop over to that board, check them out, the barbecue coleslaw looks yum-o!

And I posted a great looking Potato and Onion Frittata on the Eating Light Board, 238 calories per serving, too.

Family Stuff...

Ryan and Lindsay arrived safely in Heavensville last night just ahead of a storm, so of course Mom is relieved to have them safely tucked in.

John and Tonia bought a new television, and John is busy hooking up all the wires, cables, speakers, etc. today. Tonia has had her eye on this iron canopy bed for months now. It's in a store in downtown Franklin, and it's really special. We had a big discussion about it yesterday and she really wants THAT bed. You go, girl!!!! I've seen the bed, it's adorable, and since it's gonna be in the guest room, Milly is all for it, too!!!

It's Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction weekend, so of course all the guys are glued to the tube. LC has been on the phone with Charlie already, they all have to discuss the selling prices and which of these old cars they had when they were young and how rich they would be now if they still had 'em. Men Schmen!

Uncle Rich had his 57th birthday yesterday. I told him he was as old as me now, he said NOT...

And that's it from Heavensville... Just sitting here waiting for the snow...

They left Texas in the dust.....

Ry and Linds are on their way to Heavensville, via Dallas. They should arrive late tomorrow night, each driving a car. We are all so thrilled that they are moving so close to home. Lexington, here they come!!!

Life is good when your kids are in a good place. *huge sigh of relief*

~ Jan

You need to try this....

Trish gave LC and I chowder tonight, shrimp chowder she had made. She got the recipe from her foodie girlfriend, it is SO easy, you can do this in five minutes and SO good! Trish has been ordering shrimp chowder at Abuelo's, and she says this is hands down better.

It's posted on Jan Can Cook - check it out!!! Perfect for this cold weather.

Arughhhhhh, you can't take me ANYWHERE!!!!

Hubby was off today, we had errands to run, I wanted to go to Panera for black bean soup, he didn't, but he humored me, we went. I had on a black sweater, denim jacket, and I kept thinking, something isn't right with the cuff on this sweater.

Well, we ate lunch, it was hot, I took off my jacket. Came home, took the jacket off again, I'm sitting at the computer, and he said, did you know your sweater is on wrong-side out? Holy crap, I was sitting in Panera all thru lunch with my sweater wrong side out. He said, "I thought something looked funny at lunch, but I didn't say anything." HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING??????? ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MEN SCHMEN!!!

The times they are a changin'

The following was on the Drudge Report this morning. For a woman of my generation, this seems surreal...

~ jan

51% of Woman are Now Living Without Spouse

For what experts say is probably the first time, more American women are living without a husband than with one, according to a New York Times analysis of census results.

In 2005, 51 percent of women said they were living without a spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000.

Coupled with the fact that in 2005 married couples became a minority of all American households for the first time, the trend could ultimately shape social and workplace policies, including the ways government and employers distribute benefits.

Several factors are driving the statistical shift. At one end of the age spectrum, women are marrying later or living with unmarried partners more often and for longer periods. At the other end, women are living longer as widows and, after a divorce, are more likely than men to delay remarriage, sometimes delighting in their newfound freedom.

In addition, marriage rates among black women remain low. Only about 30 percent of black women are living with a spouse, according to the Census Bureau, compared with about 49 percent of Hispanic women, 55 percent of non-Hispanic white women and more than 60 percent of Asian women.

Oh my...

You have to hop on over to the GirlTalk board, and see the pix of Diane Keaton. Even better, click on the link on my GirlTalk page to watch the trailer of her new movie. Gotta see it, as soon as it comes out....

Check it out!!!

GirlTalk is now working...

You can always access GirlTalk from munchiebusiness.com, just go there and click on the words GirlTalk, or you can access it here...

A little info....

I talked with Linds this morning, she too is having trouble adjusting to all the whitespace on this site, along with everybody else. Even hubby is saying, it's too plain, it needs "stuff."

You'll get used to it, really you will. I always hate change, too - but this is SO much easier for me to work with than the old Movable Type setup I was using. One of the great features we now have are labels. If you will scroll down the sidebar on the right, you will see the header labels, and underneath there are titles, Celebrities, Dirt, Dogs, Hooterville, etc. When I post an entry, I also post labels, so if you just want to look what I've been saying about a certain subject, you just click on one of the Labels, for instance, if you click on Yorkies, all the posts I've made about the M&M's will appear. Slick, huh?

I'll keep adding info to that sidebar, so keep checking it out. I need to make all of my Bedside Table Books hyperlinks so that you can click and read a synoposis. I'll get there, just takes time. And I'll try to bring more color into the next skin I do for this page. Patience, dear hearts, patience.....

I've also revamped GirlTalk, so it will be up and running later today. I'll post the necessary info on that when I get it published. I think you'll really like the changes I've made to it. I'm trying to get input about it from Tonia, but they're having internet problems this weekend. I really like having the Dillys give me their opinion, they are right on top of all the girl stuff.... Mandi gave me some good suggestions for GirlTalk yesterday, also... I love all the fresh ideas from the 20's & 30's crowd, it breathes new life into the rest of us "old girls."