7 things x 7....

7 Things I plan to do before I die:

1. Visit the New England states in the fall and spend a few days in NYC.
2. Go sailing, preferably at sunset.
3. Learn French, I've always wanted to.
4. Lose 20 lbs. and keep it off.
5. Go camping, just once, me, hubby and the dogs, to some beautiful, woodsy secluded spot, when the air is crisp and clean, build a campfire, roast wieners, make s'mores, listen to classical music on my ipod, experience nature at sunrise, breakfast and hot coffee in the fresh air... Actually, hubby would hate this, I'll do it with Hooterville...
6. Spend a weekend on a houseboat with the family.
7. Hold grandchildren in my arms, spoil them terribly, and love them endlessly.

7 Things I do now:

1. I get to spend my days doing what I enjoy, family, friends, dogs, nature, just being home...
2. I spend a lot of my spare time on the computer. ummmm, not a lot, more like all..
3. I read when I go to bed at night.
4. I feel like I'm evolving into a much more informed woman as I age, the body has gone to hell, but I'm a lot smarter.
5. I can crochet, embroider, cross stitch, sew, but I don't enjoy doing any of this anymore...
6. I love to go on long country rides. Nature is so important to me and I get a real buzz out of communing with it . . . listening to birdsong, looking at different plants and flowers, watching the bunnies and squirrels in the garden, the butterflies and the hummies, soothes my soul.
7. I really do take time and smell the roses, I live in the moment...

7 Things I can't do:

1. Stay organized, I'm afraid it's not in my nature, grrr . . .
2. Wiggle both of my eyebrows independently. I can wiggle my left one, but not my right! I can also wiggle them both together.
3. Deny the M&M's anything, I'm such a sucker for puppy dog eyes...
4. Sleep the whole night through without waking up at least once to look at the clock or pee. Another grrr . . .
5. Get offered a piece of chocolate cake and say no thank you. Why would I even want to???
6. Put two fingers in my mouth and whistle shrilly! I've always wanted to be able to do that.
7. Discipline myself on a consistent basis.

7 Things that attract me to the Opposite Sex:

1. Honesty and Loyalty.
2. A Nice Smile and kind eyes.
3. A hearty laugh.
4. Strong shoulders.
5. Masculine hands.
6. Good sense of humour.
7. A kind heart.

7 Things that I say most often:

1. Jeez Louise!
2. Maggie, Mollie, where are you?
3. Oh shit!
4. Jesus Christ on a bicycle, favorite saying for years and years!
5. Love you!
6. I've gotta get a life...
7. Has anybody seen my glasses . . .

7 Favorite Foods:
(Only Seven???)

1. Chocolate Candy, always with Nuts, Caramels, too...
2. Chicken and Dumplings, flat slicker dumplings, not drop ones
3. Pork Chops, preferably with Mashed potatoes and Gravy
4. German Chocolate Cake, Butterscotch Brownies - CLICK for my recipe - they're amazing
5. Lemon Ice Cream, also Pistachio, Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey and G.D. Ritzy's Butter Pecan Cashew
6. Lemon Meringue Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Banana Cream Pie
7. Bananas, Pineapple, Peaches and Nectarines, oh and Bing Cherries, I adore Bing Cherries

7 Regrets, I've had a few:

1. That it took me too many years to realize that I had a voice, I could say no, I didn't always have to do what was expected of me.
2. People in my life that were there for a season, not a lifetime.
3. I'm not gifted artistically or musically, I admire people who are so much, they are so lucky to be born with that ability.
4. I never got that horse when I was younger, yeah, I know you've heard this before.
5. I never learned to tap dance. Impossible now, I should have done it in my 30's.
6. I never attended Yoga classes, either - but Dilly does! Another shoulda when I coulda...
7. My biggest regret of all is that I didn't discover Yorkies at an earlier age, oh, I would have bred them and had petite bebe dogs everywhere...

When pumpkins drink...

I know, it's really bad. But you have to admit, it's funny. Thanks for the giggle, Dilly...

I've got a goodie for you tonight, just in time for the weekend...

I found a new site that streams movies and television shows, all free. I've found sites similar to this one in the past, but the difference with this one is that you can enlarge the screen to full size so that the movie fills your monitor, and the quality is good, not choppy unlike ones from the past when the quality was pretty bad.

The quality is so much better than it was even just a year ago, technology just keeps improving, and we all benefit. You will really enjoy Hulu, there is a ton of stuff to choose from. I was watching a great movie, Sense and Sensibility earlier, it was enlarged to full screen on a 24" monitor and the quality was excellent.

The site is hulu.com

Just hover over the channel menu, there is something for everybody.

I'm sitting here, watching this clip from their site, just cracking up. This is SO me in a few years. Hell, this is me NOW!!! Right, Hooterville?? Oh this is so funny, take a minute and give it a watch, ladies...

Enjoy, it's a good thing...

~ jan

Are you ready for this….

Meet Clara Meadmore, she’s a 105 year old virgin from Cornwall who says that celibacy is the key to a long life.

And this is the lovely Clara in her mid 30’s, quite a foxy lady, wasn’t she?

And that’s her secret for longetivity, huh?  Well, girlfriends, looks like we are all doomed to an early grave!!!!

More power to Ms. Clara, though, who will receive a card from the Queen and have a ‘drop’ of wine when she turns 105 on Saturday…  Here’s lookin’ at you, kid…

Geezy Pete, what a dinner!!!!

Hubby called me on his way home from work. I had showered, put on the war paint, the jeans, the warm sweater, I was all set to go to the fall festival. The traffic was horrendous, the crowds were awful, he decided it wasn't such a great idea to go to the festival, but we could go somewhere else.

I vetoed going out, told him I would just fix something healthy at home. Fixing dinner at home entails cooking two separate meals, because his idea of healthy doesn't exactly jive with mine....

I needed to something fast, so I made him turkey smoked sausage, creamy pasta from a box sans the butter, and nuked him some frozen peas, he's not picky, he'll eat anything... meanwhile, I'm thinking, egads, what am I going fix for me.

I decided on my old standby when I'm too lazy to cook, a can of black beans sprinkled with taco seasoning, served over couscous. Couscous is fast, you bring the water to a boil, dump in the grains, put on a lid, take it off the stove, and in five minutes, voila, you have couscous! I had bought it at the bulk food store, so it was in a plastic bag, alongside all the other bags of healthy brown things, I measure it out, boil the water, dump it in, fix the beans, stir his pasta, saute his sausage, oh I was a whirlwind in the kitchen.

His meal is ready, he's good to go, I take my beans out of the microwave, get a bowl from the cupboard, lift the lid on the couscous, and holy shit, it was swimming in water. It didn't swell. I take a closer look, realizing with a sinking feeling that I had not used couscous at all, but sesame seeds.

Oh, what the hell, I love sesame seeds, I drain some with a slotted spoon, pour some beans over and that was my dinner. It's over now, I'm still picking those friggin' seeds out of my teeth.... and how did it taste, you might ask? It was HORRID!!!! Absolutely, positively, HORRID!!!

Is this my punishment for eating that handful of candy corn, when I have avoided sugar like the plague for weeks now? Is this what my life has come to??? Eating black beans over sesame seeds. I didn't even have any salsa, or ffree sour cream, or scallions.... Poor pitiful me...

What a crock!!!!! WHAT A C-R-O-C-K-!-!-!

This is all V's fault..

So last week, Veronica is telling me how obsessed her hubby is with black jewel microwave popcorn doused with popcorn cheese seasoning.  So naturally, moi here has to try it.  I'm not a fan of black jewel popcorn, i prefer Orville's big kernals, but now I'm hooked on the friggin' shake cheese on it, oh and of course I tweaked it with a handful of candy corn.

OMG, if you've never added candy corn and dried cheese to popcorn, you're in for a treat!  So here I sit, eating it, and hubby and I are headed to the fall festival tonight.  I'll be waddling my way home for sure!!!

Boo!

Maggie update…..

We’re now almost three months post-op with Mags, we’ll be testing her late October to see if her liver shunt surgery was successful.  Both LC and I will be really surprised if it isn’t – Maggie  continues to be an active, mischievous little imp, so unlike the dog we had a few months ago, who was totally lethargic and listless.

I awoke this morning to her lying on my chest, licking me on the nose.  Naturally, I was besieged with a fit of the giggles, which. I might add,  is a wonderful thing for a lady of a certain age.

The more I giggled, the more she showered me with kisses, and then she turned to Mollie and woke her up by licking her in the face.

She is racing thru the house right now, fetching a fuzzy donut, jumping in the air, pouncing on it, and trying to entice Mollie to play with her.

So charming, my little dogs.  And such simple pleasures they bring to my life…

More on Jaclyn Smith

She was a guest this morning on Bonnie Hunt.  What a treat to watch two wholesome, beautiful women, compared to what we’re usually subjected to.

Jackie was talking about girlfriends, at one point actually tearing up over Farrah Fawcett.  And I thought, what a lesson for all of us.  This woman, who is grounded and graceful, and who has managed to live a dignified life, despite all the problems along the way, has stayed friends all these years with Farrah, who has always had such a shaky foundation, who has battled very public problems with men and drugs, often in a graceless and undignified manner.  Two women who couldn’t be more opposite, yet they have this lasting  friendship despite their differences.

We can all learn from this.  To embrace our friends and accept their differences, as we hope they do in turn…  Wouldn’t it be a boring world if we only had friends that were mirror images of ourselves.  We can learn so much from women, girl power is the greatest power on earth….

Debate….

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I thought the debate last night was a snooze.

Compared to Palin and Biden, where the air was sizzling with energy, this round was a huge yawn…

Oh, won’t you all be glad when this is over?  I’m so sick of hearing all the bickering and finger pointing.  It won’t be long now, though – thank goodness!!!!

Do you know what this is?

This is what hubby missed out on at the Fall Festival today.

Does it look familiar?  Well, it should, you eat part of this for breakfast.  It’s, are you ready for this… chocolate covered bacon.  Yep, bacon… 

I think it sounds horrid, his arteries don’t  need it, maybe it was a good thing it rained….

This makes perfect sense…..

Multi-tasking.  It’s quite the buzzword, everybody talks about how they multi-task, well everybody, but moi…

I’ve always said that I’m not coordinated, my right brain isn’t integrated with my left brain, so I never professed to be a multi-tasker.

I was watching some news show on FOX the other day, and this guy came on and he said there was no such thing as multi-tasking.  Can’t be done.  When you “think” you are multi-tasking, SURPRISE, you’re not!  You may be working on something, but you must quit in order to do something else, so you are doing one thing at a time.

Think about it, the next time you think you are accomplishing a lot at once.

Now that I’ve totally ruined your day, let me tell you that hubby was off today, we headed down to the Fall Festival, with our munchie map in hand, everything that we wanted to eat highlighted, got a mile from home, and the skies opened up and it absolutely poured!  We haven’t had significant rainfall since July, until lunchtime today.

So much for greasy, bad food, instead we went to Yen Ching for some non-greasy good food.  Worked for us….

It’s fall festival time in Heavensville…

The first week in October is always fall festival time in Heavensville.  I’m such a sucker for street fairs, I love the food, love to people watch, love the food, enjoy the new fall clothes, did I mention that I love the food….

It’s billed as one of the largest street fairs in the USA, with 125+ food booths, chocked full of grease laden, deep fried morsels of inferior food, sold to masses of fat people….

Just had to throw that in, it’s the devil perching on my shoulder…. So, what are my MUST HAVES this week?  Well, I’m a corn dog fanatic, this year they are touting baked pronto pups, not really healthy, of course, but at least not deep fried.  I love the baked sweet potatoes, the black beans, and want to try the chile cornbread.  That’s about it, well, except for the peanut butter fudge.  And no, I’m not going to consume all of this in ONE trip, maybe I won’t eat all of the above, and then again, maybe I will.

There is no hope….

Your Sunday dose of cuteness….

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

So much for one of my weekly staples.  Grrrrr….

The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots.   Most  people probably know this already.  What you may not know and should  know is the following: 

Once the carrots are c ut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order to  preserve them (this is the same chlorine used your pool).  Since they do not have their skin or natural protective covering, they give them a  higher dose of chlorine.

You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots, this is the Chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic?

Is this cute or what????

 

This is John, my firstborn…. He’s home for the weekend from Nashville.  We’ve been out and about all day  with the top down.  The weather is just perfect.

Oh, there is nothing like driving down the road in a convertible with the wind blowing in your face.  I’m so much more laid back in my old age.  A few years ago,  I would be fretting about my hair getting messed up, at this age, I could care less…

We’re having such a great time, life is good, this gawjus Saturday in Heavensville…

Mother and Child…

The debate hasn’t yet started tonight, this picture isn’t meant to be political, but Sarah Palin, walking off  the plane, holding her baby, tugs at my heartstrings.

I suspect I’m not alone…

Madonna – Jaclyn Smith….

Do you find this attractive?  Hmmmmmm, didn’t think so.

Even with the best personal trainers,  the finest plastic surgery and all the botox that money can buy, this is living proof that it doesn’t always work to mess with Mother Nature.

Even Madonna can’t stop the clock.

For gawds sake, woman, eat a few good meals and cut way back on the weight training…

 

 

Now look at Jaclyn Smith, pictured here with her daughter, Spencer.

Soft, feminine, lovely  for her age…. Madonna is 50 – Jackie Smith was born October 26, 1947 – omg, she is going to be 61 years old.  What an amazing woman she is….  And yes, this is a recent picture, it’s from April ‘08.  

Instead of trying to recapture her youth, she is moving gracefully forward into her golden years…  Has she had a little work done? Probably, but it’s subtly well done…. 

She’s absolutely beautiful, still….

V and I have been brainstorming this morning….

We were talking about food, as usual, and were laughing about how this generation thinks they’ve invented the crockpot.

I used to think that you had to cook something all day in the thing, and back in the 80’s, I had a lot of dried out meals.  I’ve since discovered that you don’t necessarily have to cook food all day, you can put things like frozen chicken breasts in it, sprinkle them with a little Tony Chichiare’s Creole Seasoning, turn the crock on high and in two hours, voila, your chicken is moist, tender, perfect. 

Then we were talking about soup.  I was telling her that last night I baked a chicken for dinner, hubby and I ate the breast, that’s all we like, we don’t care for dark meat, then I took the chicken carcass, skin, bones, leftover chicken, the broth that was in the pan after baking the chicken, added a quart of water, put it all in the crockpot, with a whole unpeeled onion and 3-4 unpeeled carrots, and a sprinkling of coarse salt,  some fresh ground pepper,  and let it cook on low all night.

When I peeked in this morning, I had the most wonderful stock,  I just strained it, threw the chicken remains in the trash, put the stock in the fridge for the fat to congeal,  I’ll skim the fat off, divide and freeze the stock in my trusty Glad containers for soup this winter.  You can’t buy anything in the store that even resembles this, if you don’t do this yourself, it’s a no brainer, girlfriends, and it’s AWESOME, rich, golden, just delicious…

Anyhoo, as we were talking about this, V said “wouldn’t it be great if you had a recipe section with crockpot recipes in it?”  And I said, “oh, and another one with soup!”

It’s fall, women adore soup, sooooooo, back to the audience participation thingie… In order for me to do this, you have to send me recipes.

Send me soup recipes and crockpot recipes, and Ill get these worked up and publish them.  Great idea, huh?

So I will be badgering all of you, like I’ve done before – but I really think this is a winner.  I’ll be looking in my inbox.

Thanks for the help, gang, you always come thru for me.

~ jan

A blast from the past….

V emailed me earlier and was talking about her local Michigan potato chips when she was a child, Be-Mo’s.  I’ve never heard of Be-Mo’s, and told her that when I was a little girl that we had Chesty Potato Chips. They came in big tins, you would open the lid and that greasy smell would just attack your senses!  Oh that pungent smell, I remember it to this day.  They were always layered in the tins in perfection, too,  huge big chips, some of them dark brown around the edges, oh my….

Oh, they were wonderful.  Coupled with that little green bottle of Coca-Cola, or even better, a Pepsi-Cola, taken out of the vending machine, and you had a snack that was AWESOME.

Now Hooterville would say, and I have to agree, that to take it to the next level, you would dip those greasy chips in Prairie Farms Bacon Horseradish Chip Dip.

OMG, nectar of the gods.  Hoot and I still buy bacon horseradish dip, not Prairie Farms anymore, the brand is Helluva.

Helluva?? Yep, that’s the brand.  Helluva name, huh?

And you can teach an old dog new tricks, Jean told me that she loves this dip mixed into her scrambled eggs.  I had never tried it, but oh my, it’s vunderbar…

More Williams Sonoma….

Yeah, yeah, I know I’m always talking about WS, but they do have such fantastic things.  I love this idea, originally sent this  to V, it looks like something she would like, I thought Dilly might like it for her sideboard, as well, but then thought the rest of you might enjoy seeing it, also.  They sell this glass hurricane, and now they sell this glass sleeve that goes inside, so that you can safely surround the candle with leaves and burn it without catching the table on fire.

Great, idea don’t you think?  Actually, all I need is the sleeve, I have the hurricane already.  It’s in Jan’s vast warehouse of things I just had to have but are now in the attic.  Sound familiar, I’m sure it does, the rest of you have your own warehouses, too…

Here’s the link to the hurricane and the sleeve…

 

Skipping ahead to the holidays…..

I got a Williams Sonoma catalog in the mail, and they showed this recipe for Smoky Bacon Biscuit Dressing made with sweet cream biscuits.  It looks awesome.  I posted it over on Jan Can Cook – check it out.  But who wants to make biscuits, I’m sure they would be wonderful, but Pillsbury makes wonderful frozen ones.  They work for me…

 

Here’s the quick CLICK for the recipe…

It’s just absolutely, positively….. perfect!

Hooterville came thru for us again…

Oh wow, did she ever send me a site today.  It’s called FoodTube – yep, you guessed it, it’s like YouTube, but all the videos are FOOD!!!!

Carlene, you are just gonna love this one -

Here’s the CLICK – you are going to want to bookmark this, girlfriends….

Here’s a great example – pumpkin cheesecake!

More to come????

If you’ve accessed the Thanksgiving recipes, you might be thinking, “oh, I have one that she would love to have”…. Well, bring it on…

We may end up with an additional page of Thanksgiving recipes, as I’m getting feedback from some of you about recipes you would like to include.  There is plenty of time, ladies, it’s only the end of September, so if any of you have holiday recipes you would like to share, please do so.

I’ll be working on the Christmas recipes next, so include those as well.  I’ll look forward to getting your emails.

Audience participation is always appreciated.

~ jan

They’re BACCCKKKKKKKK…..

Just when you thought I would never get the Thanksgiving recipes back on the site, SURPRISE!!!!  I’ve been working really hard this weekend, all your faves are back.  If you’re new to the site, you’re in for a treat, if you’re an oldie, you know how good this collection is. Click on the turkey in the right sidebar – it’s Jan and Friends finest.  All tried and true, all simply wonderful holiday recipes.

Enjoy…

~ jan

More on Paul Newman…

I’ve been watching a lot of coverage of  his life on television the last twenty-four hours, the more I hear about him, the more I respect him.

My favorite movie?  Nope, not Hud or Cool Hand Luke, or Long Hot Summer, not even everybody’s favorite, Butch Cassidy,  even though I thought it was great.  My favorite movie, hands down was,  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof…. Oh, that was a classic…

And my favorite line…

Elizabeth Taylor, saying with great passion, “MAGGIE THE CAT IS ALIVE!!!!”

Still gives me goosebumps.

What chemistry they had. They were really something, weren’t they???

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

My day in pictures…

Today was Kuntsfest, the local fall festival in V’s town.  Her daughter Angie had a booth showcasing her jewelry, I took the M&M’s, all decked out in the daisy scrungies she made them.  They had a blast.  Maggie, my attention getting little ham, wanted EVERYONE to stop by and say hi to her.  Mollie, as usual, was more laid back, she just sat on my lap and took it all in.  It always amazes me, when I take the girls somewhere, how many people come up to me and tell me about their Yorkies.

 

V lives in a historic old river town, it was fun just sitting and people watching.  Jean and her Mother came for awhile,  we just kicked back, played with the dogs and tried to stay away from the food booths.  The last picture is of the fur kids  snoozing in the car on the way home.  They were so pooped, they slept for hours!

Our children, they grow older, but they don’t really grow up….

Thank goodness, there is nothing more charming than an adult child, with “occasional” lapses into familiar childlike behavior.

My youngest, Ryan, turns 33 tomorrow.  In birthdays of his childhood, when favorite meals were always on the agenda, Ryan would have strange combinations, things like lasagna, taco salad, and always, always, that horrid box mix of Tunnel of Fudge Cake.  I’ve talked about Tunnel of Fudge Cake many times, how nobody liked the darned thing, I don’t even think baby boy liked it, but he HAD to have it, and of course, I would make it, he would eat a piece, the rest of us would pass, I would put it in Tupperware, and it would surface months later, pushed to the back of the pantry, growing a green skin.  This happened year after year.  In fact, when Lindsay and Ry got married, she surprised him with a Tunnel of Fudge Groom’s Cake, which of course sent him into spasms of joy, while the wedding guests waited patiently for Lindsay to explain his ongoing love affair with the chocolate monster. 

You can’t even buy the mix anymore, thank goodness, but oh, I have a recipe for a homemade one, it’s a lot of trouble, and no better than the mix, but he doesn’t ask for it anymore, I think he’s finally realized there are more yummy desserts to be had than that cake, and I’ve passed the torch of cooking his favorite meal to Lindsay.  Well, not completely, because both my sons milk their birthday meal for all it’s worth, so I’m sure when he comes home he will be talking me into making yet another birthday dinner for him.

And what’s his meal of choice this year?  It’s one of those lapses into childhood behavior things.  When he was a little boy, he and his Dad ADORED franks and beans, and white gummy bread, usually served with fried potatoes or french fries. 

John didn’t care for it, I tolerated it, but oh my, Ry loved it.  So that’s what he wants Lindsay to make him, my gourmet cook, food snob son, wants a childhood meal, beans and franks, and…. TATER TOTS!!!!  Oh, and of course, the required white, gummy loaf of Bunny Bread… Blecht!!!  Poor Linds, she’ll fix it, but she won’t eat a bite, Im sure.  And dessert?  Chocolate chip cookies….  Now that would work for me, Lindsay makes rockin’ chocolate chip cookies…

I’ll be calling him in the morning, early, singing Happy Birthday to him,  and no doubt later in the day hearing in great detail about how great his birthday dinner was.

Oh, he’s a sweetheart, that son of mine, Happy Birthday a bit early, Ry…

Great grains…

I went to the natural food store today, where they had bins of all the grains I’ve been looking for in my ongoing quest for healthy eating.  I came home with things like wheat berries, buckwheat groats, bulgar, whole wheat couscous, organic soy beans, and soup mixes like sunset soup mix and organic chile mix, chocked full of lentils and black beans and barley.  And they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.  This should be an interesting experience, cooking with some of these grains……  I was just surprised to find all of this locally in Heavensville, I thought I would have to order online.

It was one of those ahhhhh moments….

I wish I could have just stopped time this morning , it was so perfect.  I was out with the M&M’s on a potty run, the morning sun was filtering thru the trees, the sky was a vivid blue, with temperatures in the lower 50’s in Heavensville, and as I sat on Milly, warmed by my fleecy jacket and sipping my mug of coffee, I watched the horses in the pasture, and listened to the birds singing their morning songs, while Mags and Mollie scampered in the grass and I was just one with nature.

It’s one of the joys of growing older, when a moment in time is perfect, I’m wise enough now to realize it,  and just live in it.    I could have stayed out there forever. 

It’s those simple things…

Williams-Sonoma fall catalog…

It’s a sure sign of fall when the Williams-Sonoma catalog arrives, just chocked full of pumpkin and halloween ideas.

It makes me long for the days when the boys were little, and we would make halloween cookies. This month’s offering of cookie cutouts are so cute.

Doesn’t this picture just make you want to grab your credit card and order them?

Of course they give you the recipe, too– Williams-Sonoma just ROCKS!!!

So, if your interest is piqued, here’s a picture of the cutters up close and personal, you can order them here, and here is the link for the recipes.

And, if  cookies aren’t your thing,  you can always order the ultimate apple.  It’s a visual delight…

Remember when you were a kid and bobbed for apples. 

Well, this  isn’t quite the same thing , but Toto, we aren’t in Kansas anymore…

Oh, does this ever look decadent!!!  Just read the description -

Surprise your favorite apple aficionado with a caramel apple whose impressive size conveys the extent of your good wishes. Each confection begins with a magnificent Washington Fuji apple, a varietal prized for its juicy crispness and sweet, slightly spicy flavor.

Candymakers double-dip the apple in handmade caramel that's been simmered in copper kettles to rich, buttery creaminess.

The apple is blanketed with a thick layer of premium dark chocolate, coated with roasted California almonds and finished with a drizzle of dark and orange-tinted white chocolate.

Interested?  Of course you are, here’s the click for the link.

Don’t you just love fall???

Source:  Williams-Sonoma

Been there….

Bonnie Hunt this morning was talking about when she was a kid and if her Mom gained a little weight, she would stand at the top of the stairs, and have her kids grab her dress at the back and then she would walk down the stairs with them tugging at the dress as she walked so it would stretch. I was laughing out loud.  Too funny!!!

I’m such a sucker…

Hubby is always telling me I need to take control of my dogs.  Well, I just hate to discipline them, they’re such good little dogs, I just have such a hard time saying no to them.

I was on the phone while ago with Linds, Mollie decided she didn’t like being in the playpen anymore and she was jumping against the mesh side.  I shook my finger at her and said, “no”, that didn’t work, so I told Lindsay to hold on and I said “NO” and gave her a little swat.

Well, you would have thought I beat her.  She went to the far corner of the playpen and looked at me with those big puppy dog eyes, it just broke my heart.

So I hung up the phone, scooped her up in my arms, gave her kisses and a treat, and put her back in.  She’s happy as a little clam now, she just needed attention.

She’s no different than the rest of us, when she isn’t getting enough positive attention, she does something to get negative attention, which isn’t always better than no attention at all, it just works for the moment.

Next time hubby tells me I need to discipline my dogs,  he’s gonna get a little negative attention, himself!   I should have known better than to listen to a man! I just have no willpower with them.  I’m a marshmallow….

MEN SCHMEN!!! It’s all his fault….  Yeah, it is…

Talk shows... try Bonnie Hunt

If you're like me, I'm tired of Regis and Kelly, their schtick is wearing a little thin.  Rachael Ray doesn't ring my chimes, Oprah is on my sh*t list, so for me, that leaves Ellen, who I think is an absolutely adorable little fairy.  I DO!!!!  I think she is perky, and cute, and funny, but hey, Ellen, we all know you can dance, I'm a little tired of the dancing...
Enter the new kid on the block.  The Bonnie Hunt Show.  Oh, she's so funny and fresh and perky, she doesn't dance - she's kinda like a straight Ellen.  SHE IS!!!!
She doesn't rehearse so her material is fresh, she debuted last week, so if you haven't watched her, give her a chance.  You will have to check local times, for me she's on at 9am opposite Regis and Kelly.  She's on CBS.
Here are a couple of clips from last week with Cloris Leachman, she's 82 and a HOOT!!!! Take a few minutes, grab a cup of coffee, watch these videos and see if they don't just crack you up!  When she combed Bonnie's hair I was just howling.  Oh, this old woman is funny!!!!  I would love to go to dinner with her.  Can you imagine her after a few glasses of wine? 
Don't ya just love old broads?  I love em'.  Not old ladies, old ladies are so boring, but an old broad, , oh they are just so much fun!!!!!!!!!  That's what I aspire to be when I get old (er).  An old broad.  Yep, I surely do......

Your daily dose of cuteness...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time, when I was a teenager...

I was thinking about my teenage years last night, when sleep was elusive and my head was filled with past memories, and I made a realization.  That my "oops" moments were a lot more fun than any of my accomplishments or achievements as a teenager.

Has life ever been as funny as when you were a teenager?  How long has it been since you belly laughed, with tears rolling down your cheeks?  Have you acted totally silly in recent years, totally unembarrassed and uninhibited by your behavior?  Well, let me rephrase that, have you done this without alcohol?

Probably not.  If you are like me, we have our silly moments, especially Hooterville and I, but for the most part the guffaws and haha's aren't as funny as they were when we were young.

I was thinking last night of how I was with Barbara Hart in Carolyn Weiss's dad's '57 Rambler, at the Goody-Goody, Enfield's local drive-in and the place to see and be seen.  We were all sitting in the front seat, eating hot fudge sundaes, and she backs out of her parking space, no doubt to impress a boy, and smacks right into a telephone pole.  And what did we do?  We sat there, with hot fudge all over our shirts and we laughed until we cried.

I remember practicing for the senior play, and the boys came in with a basket of contraband apples, that they had filched from the local produce stand late at night, and how we all ate the apples and were shocked at how wild and daring they were.

And we roared with laughter, when a particularly nerdy teacher, while sitting on a podium in study hall, got his shoelaces tied together by some of the boys, who shimmied on their bellies to do so, while someone else detracted him with some insignificant question.

And I vividly remember being in the same study hall, when Janie Wilson, a really portly girl, went outside to lower the American flag for the day, and we all got up and went to the window and said The Pledge of Allegiance, with our hands over our hearts, while laughing uproariously.  Of course, it wasn't quite so funny when we all got detention for a week for doing that.

We had a math teacher, Mrs. Cash, a really brainy woman, but a total oddball, and we would take turns daily, sneaking into the teacher's lounge to check her lunch sack - the poor woman brought the same lunch every single day.  A cold fried egg sandwich and an apple.  Then we would report back to the others that "yep, old lady Cash had the same thing, again!"

Detention was also to be had the last week of my senior year, when our business teacher was out of the room, probably down the hall flirting with the school secretary, and we all turned all of the office equipment backwards, turned our chairs around and faced the wrong way.

And then there was one halloween when the boys broke into the school late at night and put a cow in the library.  That was quite the scandal.

And one day, the school superintendent came around the corner to see a chair dangling from the 2nd story math room.  In those days there was no air conditioning, and no screens, the teachers just opened the windows and let the breeze in.  And someone got the bright idea that it would be funny to dangle the chair from the venetian blind cords.  So we're all sitting in math class laughing, the teacher totally oblivious, until he got a knock on the door.

Such silliness,  and I'm sure today's sophisticated teens would think my memories totally not cool, but at the time it was freakin' hilarious.

Good memories of a more innocent time...

Right now...

I'm listening to Alison Krauss, A Hundred Miles or More, thanks to Dilly who gave the album to me.

What a pure voice she has, just perfect for a windy, cloudy Sunday afternoon in Heavensville....

Interested in the tunes?  Click thru HERE to see what's in the album...

Holy Batman and Robin, it's windy....

Geezy Pete, Heavensville is getting the remnants of Hurricane Ike this morning.  It's so windy, the M&M's kept blowing around  when I took them out this morning, I was afraid they were going to just topple over.

I just hope the power holds, it's been flickering all morning...

A little insight...

I AM a pretty happy camper 98% of the time
I WANT to be more organized
I HAVE the things in life that are important to me
I KEEP all my size 10 jeans, don't know why I torture myself  by keeping them, but I do...
I WISH I COULD just put on my big girl, ummmm, make that old lady panties and throw the damn things in the trash
I HATE high gas and food prices
I FEAR that the prosperous times for our country are over
I HEAR the fur kids snoring in their playpen right now...
I DON'T THINK I'll ever tire of my computer(s), my ongoing fascination for it hasn't waned at all...
I REGRET that I never got that horse, something I wanted desperately for years...  I don't want one anymore, just wish I would have made it happen in my 20's, or 30's
I LOVE being able to stay home, and not have a time schedule for anything
I AM NOT a phoney, I'm the genuine 100% real meal deal...
I DANCE really well, it doesn't seem to matter that I have no feet, I can boogie with the best of 'em, who woulda thunk it...
I SING to the M&M's, one of my faves, You Are My Sunshine - they look at me like I'm nuts...
I NEVER have a banana split anymore, but I should, I ADORE banana splits...
I RARELY watch prime time television, when I do it's usually FOX News
I CRY ... not so much anymore, one of the good things about post-menopause, not so hormonal...
I AM NOT ALWAYS tactful, I tend to stick my foot in my mouth with regularity...
I HATE THAT I procrastinate, but I understand now that I'm genetically predispositioned to it and don't beat myself up like I once did, and thanks to LC,  I have gotten lots better about it over the years
I'M CONFUSED ABOUT oil prices and record profits for the oil companies when they insist they aren't price gouging
I NEED to remember to take my vitamins everyday, I'm doing pretty good with that these days...  I also need to be better about making lists, since I'm forgetful in my old(er) age...
I SHOULD get all of my Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes posted again, so that all of you have them for the holidays, and I will...
I HOPE all of you enjoy my nonsense and I don't bore you to tears...

What the Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Oprah and Charlie Gibson have in common....

They are ALL on Jan's sh*t list this morning.  Well, as you know Oprah has been on it for some time but the rest of them are just now annoying the hell out of me!

Let's take The View first.  Both V and Hooterville gave up on it a long time ago, but oh no, not me.  I continued to watch it, even though that vapid little Elizabitch annoyed the beejus out of me, I found Joy's acerbic humor amusing,   I tolerated ole' Babs, and thought Sheri Shepherd was so-so.  I'm a Whoopie fan, thought she was fair and handled all the women pretty well.

I tuned in yesterday to watch them interview John McCain.  OMG, it was just horrid.  They weren't interviewing him, they were attacking him.  They were so negative toward him from the get-go, it was embarrassing to watch.  He handled them the best way he could, but they were relentless.  They, meaning Barbara and Joy.  To Sheri's credit, she just kind of sat there, and didn't do much, and of course that annoying little fly, Elizabeth, had her politically correct question to ask him.  Whoopi wasn't much better than the other two, especially with her little zinger about being afraid she would be a slave again, but it was just insulting to watch.  If that had been Obama  would they have done the same thing.  Of course not...  Shame, shame on them!

They brought out Cindy McCain later in the program, and snaps to her for putting Barbara in her place.  Bab's first question to her was, "Cindy, just exactly how many houses  do you have?"

And Cindy told her that it didn't matter how many houses they had, that she was proud of her husband and that he would do a good job running the country, and she was proud of her parents for working hard an creating such a good life for her.  Good for her, that shut the old woman up!  She just kind of sat there and blinked her eyes, she's obviously not used to anyone getting the best of her!!!!

Then there is Charlie Gibson, always my favorite news anchor, I liked his folksy delivery of the news, but I was totally, and I mean TOTALLY appalled by his interview with Sarah Palin.  Except that was no interview, it was like she was his prisoner of war, and he was interrogating her.  The man was in attack mode from the first sentence that came out of his mouth.  It may just backfire on him, though, middle America is not rallying behind the man.  George Stephanopolis interviewed Obama recently, and I might add, he did so wearing kid gloves.  Why did ABC honchos, who undoubtedly told the man exactly what to say and how to deliver it, allow such bias to happen???And remember, ladies, I'm a democrat, I have been my whole life, I come from a family of staunch democrats, but this  attack by Gibson has, in my opinion, has less to do with politics, than it has to do with trying to bring a woman to her knees.  He did NOT succeed!!!

Do I agree with everything McCain and Palin stand for.  Of course not, who ever agrees with everything on a politican's platform.  I'm a pretty liberal thinker, I'm pro-choice, I'm for gay rights, but I think that these candidates, even though they aren't, are respectful of other peoples views, something the "ladies" of The View obviously are not.  And Gibson, no more nightly news with him in this house, even Katie Couric would be better than this mouthpiece for the ABC brass.

Shame, shame, shame, on ALL of them!!!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

It's so hot in Heavensville, we're having just miserable wea-ther!!!  But hot or not, fur kids have to pee, so I roll out of the garage on Milly on a mid-aftermoon potty run with The M&M's  riding shotgun. I get to the end of the driveway, and realize something just doesn't sound right.  Milly is making a funny noise.  Now we ALL know about funny noises with our cars, but I've never had one on a golf cart.

I get off, and wouldn't ya know, Mildred has a flat tire.  Arughhhhhhhhh, it's totally flat, so I limp her back to the garage, with the tire leaving a rubber line all the way up the driveway, oh great, the neighbors are gonna love that...  The dogs look at me, like Mo-ooommmm, we hafta go, so thankfully Trish came to the rescue on The Zipper (her golf cart) and we were off to the fields.  That's probably where I got the darned flat anyway, going off road... 

Now that's a Kodak moment, I'm sure, me bouncing thru the fields on the little red golfcart, holding tight to my Yorkies so they don't fall off...   I'm sure my neighbors think I'm a nutcase.  Me, who in the old days, wouldn't dream of stepping foot out of the house without full makeup and big hair, now bounces thru the fields, au naturalle.  Ummm, I better clarify that, I don't mean I'm naked, geezy pete, that would be scary, I mean I go out and about in the neighborhood in yoga pants, an old t-shirt, no makeup and wild hair...

I'm a free spirit in my older age, and I like it, I really like it.....

Stella here, kinda gettin' her groove back.....

Stella hasn't got her groove back....

I'm workin' on it, just been a bit discombobulated since the big crash.  Here's a quick synopsis of what's going on in Heavensville.

• The M&M's continue their jail term.  Banished to a playpen by the side of my computer desk last week because of naughty behavior, we've all realized that life is a lot simpler with them beside me, lying on a soft cushion, all stretched out on their fuzzy throw instead of roaming all over the top of my desktop, stepping on my keyboard, me watching them like a hawk, lest they fall off. 
• I've discovered in the last few weeks that I really enjoy alternative grains. I'm eating couscous, bulgar, barley, and getting ready to try quinoa.  It's not bad, I've always been  a whole grains girl, I'm just taking it a step farther...
• I'm once again, "attempting" to let my hair grow longer.  I've done this, what, a hundred times in the last five years, and I always cave and cut it.  But I'm giving it yet another go...
• See what I mean, even with this post, still not back in the groove.  OMG, do you think my brain is befuddled FOREVER due to the trauma cause by the great crash of 2008...
• My new by-word - EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE!!!!

Must see tv - Shirley MacLaine is Coco Chanel

- Lifetime, Saturday September 13th, 8pm ET/PT

Any other Natalie Cole fans out there???

My all time favorite album is Natalie Cole's Unforgettable.  She released it seventeen years ago, and I still listen to it often. 

And since I loved that album so much, every time she released yet another album I bought it, hoping that it would be similar to Unforgettable, but none of them measured up, until now.

She was on The View this morning and she has a  new release, called Still Unforgettable.  She sang one of the tracks, Walkin' My Baby Back Home, a dubbed duo with her father, and it was wonderful, then I went to Amazon, and listened to clips of the other songs, and they, too are terrific!  Not quite as good as the original Unforgettable, but still better than anything else she's done since.

Here's the click,  if you want to link thru to Amazon to listen to some of the songs.  You have to scroll to the bottom of the page, and then you have the option to select PREVIEW ALL and listen to the whole list.  Her voice is pure honey...

Oh my...

White Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats with Candied Peanuts from David Leboviz, they're on Jan Can Cook. 

Here's the quick click...

What makes me happy...

• A phone call from the kids
• A quick hug from LC when he passes by me
• Yorkie kisses... rephrase, Yorkie ANYTHING, I love their look, their smell, their sweetness, their smallness, they're the best little fur kids!
• Coffee and a donut, ummm, make that two donuts, and a large coffee, cream, two Splendas and the morning paper at Donut Bank...
• A great episode of Y&R
• When I can actually figure out some techkie thing on the computer and understand it...
• A great book, one that's a page turner that I can't put down
• Cool breezes, crisp fall days, a visit to the orchard, blowing leaves, chili simmering on the stove, apple pie in the oven, the house smelling of cinnamon from the baking pie
• Rides on Milly, watching the dogs romp with London in Trisher's yard
• A great meal that I don't have to cook... 
• A hot bath, fresh sheets and a soft nightie
• An inbox filled with emails from my favorite people
• Most of all, home makes me happy.  I nestle in for days with my fur kids, my books, and of course my computer, and I'm a happy camper

That's some of the things that make me happy, now it's your turn, what makes you happy?

I received this in an email this evening, what a great idea!

CAR KEYS

PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT.

First tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your
Drs. Office, the check out Girl at the market, everyone you know.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you
come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of
this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and
requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm
goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the
burglar rapist won't stick around... after a few seconds all the
neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there
and sure enough the criminal won't want that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a
parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there....

This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe
it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

This would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where
you can't reach a phone.

36 years ago today....

I was in hard labor, I gave birth to the most wonderful child, John, at 2pm in the afternoon.

Happy Birthday Johnno - I know you are going to have a wonderful day!!!

Hugs from Mom...

Last night's scrapbooking project...

 

I had started building this scrapbooking page before the crash of 2008, the sweet little girl picking fleurs in her sundress is is Larkin, my friend Trish's adorable two year old granddaughter.

 

It was just a plain book, I added two initial pages, the trees and the sky, and then added layer after layer of elements to create the pages.  I took the background away from a picture of Larkin, so I ended up with just her body, added it and finally,  I used a Gaussian Blur to soften each element,  and this is the result.  I needed a break last night from all the not-so-fun stuff I've been doing, and this is te result...

I actually like this, yeah, I really do...

This has been the most bor-ing weekend...

I'm finally pretty well finished with all my mundane computer maintenance, hopefully my boring blogs as well.  Today was catch-up - house maintenance, grocery shopping, not exactly a fun, either.  I did however,  manage to post a recipe on Jan Can Cook that looks fantastic.  It's from Cooks Illustrated, Peach Crumble, it would be good with apples, too.

I'm going to make this for LC, the lite version, that is.

You might want to check it out, also - the way they make this, it should stay crispy instead of getting soggy like other crisp recipes sometimes do.

Here's the Quick Click...

There's always a rainbow....

It's been a really, really bad time reinstalling windows, trying to get everything loaded and working.  I've threatened to get into the Jack, even though I detest the taste of whiskey, and would have to go buy a bottle.  Yeah, it's been that bad.  Had it not been for Hooterville, I really would have thrown the computer in the yard.

Maggie has been a little imp all day.  She has bugged me relentlessly, bringing me toys, barking at me, I would give up and play for a bit with her, and then she would start it again.  It's so cool today, she apparently was just feeling her oats.

Finally, about 7pm, I gave up, took her and Mollie on Milly over to Trish's, rousted her out of her house in her jammies and a hoodie with London in tow, and turned the dogs loose to play.  OMG, you should all have seen them, they rolled and romped and played, and when both London and Mollie gave it up, Mags just kept going.

Finally, forty-five minutes later, darkness was fast approaching, I tried gathering up the dogs to come home, but Maggie would have no part of it.  She ran from me and from Trish, she would NOT let us catch her, despite me pleading with her, promising her din-din, tweeties, daddy, ANYTHING, but nope, she would just scamper away from us and run circles.

Trish finally lured her on the patio and managed to corral her.  Oh she was naughty, but oh it was such a blessing to see her with all that energy.

Fast forward an hour, Ryan and Lindsay had sent a box to LC and when he got home from work and opened it, there were two little cheerleader outfits in it for the M&M's, red for Alabama, Linds said.  I'll get them all dressed and take their picture for you.  Too funny for words, and definitely the rainbow that brightened my day.  I wish I could share my daughter-in-law with all of you, Lindsay is just the BEST!!!!!!

And how's the computer working? I'm doing okay, loading up all my programs now, still have a few bugs, but for the most part I'm up and running.  Hopefully I'll be back to my usual nonsense shortly.

G'nite all, I'm going to soak in the tub.....

I'm about ready to throw the computer in the yard....

How many days has it been now since the big crash.  Seems like YEARS!!!!!  I've been stuck in techkie hell trying to get everything back up and running since the Dell dude came yesterday.

I thought it would just take me a couple of hours - oh hahahahahaha, jokes on me.. Try a couple of days!

That's why I'm not around.

I'll be back soon, yeah, sure I will....

Another day, more problems....

I think I'm in some kind of crazy cycle, nothing is going right for me. I was up until 11pm trying to install Windoz, with no luck, then the wheels were turning so of course I couldn't sleep, so I was back up a 4am - still trying to make the stupid thing work, THEN I was on the phone with Dell Tech Support from 7:30 until 11am, with multiple technicians doing everything possible to get my computer to reinstall Windoz, they finally decided the problem was the harddrive, which Hooterville knew yesterday, and even me with my little birdbrain figured the same thing, but I guess they had to justify giving me a $100 harddrive by spending all those hours on the phone having different people making me do the same silly tasks over and over and over until I was about to scream, and then when this dippy woman FINALLY decided to give me a new harddrive, after asking me if my harddrive was hot. HOT???? That's when I really about lost it. Arughhhhhhhhhhhhh, but since I'm still under warranty they are sending out a little man to install a new harddrive within 3 business days... And of course they don't work on Saturday and that's the third business day so with my luck it will be Monday. I have other computers, so it's not a total washout, but I just want my main one up and running like normal...

But one technician from New Delhi named Dajis was very nice, and he's saving my telephone number and when he visits his sister in New Jersey I'm going to be the first person he calls. We talked for so long during all the booting and rebooting that we developed this weird friendship and he told me about how he hates his job and he used to teach but made no money and how the customers all scream at him because their computers are broke and they won't listen to what he tells them to do, and he doesn't know how much longer he can stand it and on and on and on. Geezy Pete, I have no idea why he told me this stuff, maybe I reminded him of his mother!!!

Ryan says I have an unhealthy relationship with my computer. Of course I disagree, my computer is my livelihood, it's what interests me at this stage of my life. He couldn't understand why I couldn't just walk away and forget it when it wouldn't work. Well maybe I do have an unhealthy relationship with it. At this point I am so frustrated that I could just throw the damned thing in the yard and be done with it, but of course that would accomplish nothing. So I wait for the little Dell dude to call me... He will, someday, when he's in the mood. *sigh*

But I'm sitting here with my external harddrive all backed up, thank goodness, and of course it's full now, because it's only 250 gigs, so I need a new one, I want a terrabite this time. This computer stuff just never stops for me, NEVER!!!!! It's those darned scrapbooking files, they are HUGE and take up so much room. And of course, both of my sons think I'm totally bat shit crazy, which I probably am, for wanting all this stuff, but it's what I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I spend my days playing on the computer. And they should both be thrilled that I do, because at least I'm not driving them nuts bugging them all the time because I'm bored!! Well, actually I do call them a lot *blush* but it would be worse if I didn't have a computer to occupy my time. And thank God for Hooterville, because she can usually get me out of a jam, usually laughing hysterically, I might add, but I don't blame her, some of the technical messes I get myself into are just unreal!!!

Why am I telling you all of this, why am I rambling on and on and on, sorry guys, I know this is boring, just had to vent!!!!

Okay, I'm going to change into my jammies, eat dinner, and settle in with a book until Sarah Palin comes on the tube... And what did all of you think of Cindy McCain's yellow shirtdress last night? I thought it looked totally couture, but a bit over the top. Something about the way that collar was turned up. And it flounced out like she had petticoats on. Petticoats??? Now that's a blast from the past!! She kinda looked like an old Barbie doll. Tehehehehe, she did, didn't she? But she WAS having a really good hair day. I know, I know, what does her clothes and her hair have to do with politics. NOTHING, thank goodness, it's just GIRL STUFF!!!!!!!!!

Back tomorrow, it will be a better day, SURELY it will!!!!

The last 24 hours have NOT been fun….

I got up yesterday morning, my computer crashed!!!!!  Couldn’t get it to boot, FINALLY it did, so I spent entire day backing up files to the harddrive, because OF COURSE, I wasn’t backed up like I should have been.

Now I’m getting ready to reinstall wndows, that’s why no blogging, no time…

Thought you would all like to see Lisa Marie Presly’s tummy, OMG, she’s about to EXPLODE!!!!!  Those bebes must be due like, yesterday!

Hopefully, I’ll be back tomorrow – this is a royal pain i the patootie…  I’ve driven poor Hooterville NUTS!!!  Whatever would I do without her, though – the woman knows EVERYTHING about computers, she’s a wonder…

Me, not so much, I play with my little doodads, blog, surf, do I do the technical crap, of course not, then disaster strikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Poor pitiful me…

I’ve never heard of peanut butter cupcakes, have you?

I was intrigued with the fork crosshatches on the top of this recipe.  It eminds me of rolling balls of peanut butter cookie dough when the boys were little, and letting them take the fork, dip it in water first to keep it from sticking, and then marking the cookies. 

I posted this recipe over on Jan Can Cook, you might want to check it out, it looks wonderful.  Here’s the quick CLICK…

Peace ….

I’ve always been one to strive for peace, not necessarily happiness as a lot of people seem to do.  I’ve found through the years, that happiness is borne of peace.  Happiness is elusive, a few fleeting fragmented moments of time, but oh, when your soul is at peace, it’s lasting and it’s perfect.

I found it this morning.  It’s a warm, very breezy fall day in Heavensville.  Hubby is working, and I made myself a late breakfast, eggwhite omelet, freshly ground and brewed coffee, and a bowl of fresh peaches and yogurt.  I ate outside on the patio, with freshly cut herbs sprinkled on my omelet, and cherry tomatoes plucked from the vine, feeding the M&M’s bites of peaches as I ate. Afterwards I took them for their late morning potty run. I was sitting in the golf cart in the shade by the rocks, the fur kids were scampering in the grass, the wind was blowing in my face, the sun dappling thru the trees, a dove was cooing in the distance, and I was at peace.  Wonderful, blissful peace.

I have defining moments in my life when I remember such feelings.  The most binding ones were when the boys were born.  After both births, as I held those little red faced, ten fingered, ten toed baby boys in my arms, I have never felt such peace.  They were healthy, beautiful little babies, and it was the happiest moments of my life.

Not surprising, one of the other vivid memories is of home.  Hubby and I had been married a few years, the boys were small at the time, and we were visiting Mother.  It was a day not unlike today, a warm day with a brisk wind, and Mother had her windows open.  There is nothing like freshly laundered curtains billowing at the windows, and because she lived in a valley surrounded by trees, she always had great cross-thru ventilation, so it was a wonderful breeze.

Hubby had taken Mother and the boys somewhere, but I stayed behind.  I took a pillow from her bed, with the same pillowcase that I had slept on as a child, one she had made years before, and I laid down sideways on the foot of her bed, my head on that pillow, and my face to the window.

I’ll never forget that afternoon, the way the birds I remembered from my childhood were singing in the trees by my ditch, the sound of the tassel on her raised window shade as it flapped against the blind, and I went to sleep.

I’ve never slept as soundly, or as well as I did that afternoon, with the breeze blowing over my body, in the house where I grew up.  It was comfort, and it was warmth, and it was memories, and it was totally perfect.

I awoke refreshed, and I can still remember the imprint of her chenille bedspread on my arm.  It’s a much cherished memory, one that will stay with me always.

So when I have a peaceful moment, like I did today, I treasure it, and I remember other moments as well.  I hope you do, too.  It’s a wonderful thing.

~ jan

This is it, this is the pillowcase I slept on that long ago afternoon!!!  I have it saved in a drawer in the guest room.   A few years before Mother died, I was visiting her, and I told her I wanted it someday.  She went right then, found it in her drawer, and gave it to me. I seldom asked her for her things, and I’m sure she wanted to be sure I got it.  It used to be one of a pair, but she didn’t have other one, I was just glad that she had saved this

After I made this entry, I thought you might all like to see it, so I got it from the drawer and took this picture. Isn’t it wonderful?

I still have the pattern Mother used to make this, too.  This old case dates back to the late 40’s.

It’s made from a feedsack, and she appliqued the lady with the bonnet, and added a ruffle at the bottom. It’s so worn, and a bit yellowed from where many heads have lain,  as you can see, but I bet if I handwashed it, put it outside to dry, starched it a bit and ironed it, that it would be PERFECT to take a nap on again.  And what do I have for my boys to remember of their childhood?

Well, somewhere, stored away I still have their Ronald McDonald pillowcases…  I’m such a sentimental schmuck!

It’s those simple things, ladies…

The potato chips are a hit…

I’ve received several emails praising the potato chip recipe I posted on Tuesday.  It’s a big hit, ladies, if you haven’t made it, you’re missing out on a good one….

You can access it quickly HERE.

~ jan