Farrah is gone…

If you haven’t had on your television, Farrah Fawcett died this morning.  She truly is an angel now….

Godspeed, Farrah…

Flashback to a summer childhood memory…

I was out on Milly (golf cart) this morning, sipping on a protein strawberry smoothie thru a fat, chunky straw, hair pulled back, sunglasses perched on my nose, enjoying the fresh morning air before the heat sets in for the day.  I heard a bird, not a familiar one, but that particular bird sound transported me back in time.

I flashed back to being a little girl, out for a morning ride on my Western Flyer bicycle, my little face flushed with exertion, hearing that same exact bird sound, feeling the same summer breeze that I felt this morning.  It was so bittersweet, just that quick flash of remembrance.

As I age, I do that more,  reflect back to childhood.  It’s always to my early years, I never reflect to the teenage years, or my twenties or thirties, it’s always my early childhood.  Why is that so?  Is it because it was such a happy, innocent time?  Perhaps, there were no worries for me as a little girl, I lived in the country, played with the animals, had no siblings to fight and argue with, ate when I was hungry, slept when I was tired, it was blissful. 

So, for whatever the reason, the memory was wonderful.  I hope it comes to me again, because I had forgotten the feelings of being a carefree child, but just for a brief moment this morning, I was that child again…

Apple does it again!!!

Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music. The iTit will cost from $499 to $699, depending on cup and speaker size.

This is considered a major social breakthrough, because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.

Coffee as a fertilizer, this is a MUST read…

When I was a little girl, my mother’s friend, Helen, was a wonderful gardener.  She had a green thumb, and her fleurs always flourished in the garden.  She always dumped her coffee grounds around her plants.

So when Carlene sent me the following post this morning, I’m thinking, wait a minute, I drink coffee, I always put my grounds in the garbage disposal.  Duh, Jan, why haven’t I been doing this???

Here’s a link to the post.  Read it, girlfriends, this lady does the same thing and has fantastic results!!!!

 

Do you get depressed watching the news?

Try this instead, all good news for a change.  Here’s the click!

Okay, things that annoy ME!!!!

I was over at Lori’s blog, Pugsplace, she posted about what bugs her, oh I have a list, too…..

• MEN, thats gotta be #1 on my list, don’t they drive you wild????
• Humid weather, which we are having now, and you step outside and are dripping with sweat!
• Flies in my house, buzzing around, avoiding the flyswatter.  How can a little insect with zilch for brain outfox a big bad flyswatter.  I don’t get it, but they elude it. Yeah, I know, it’s operator error…
• So called “healthy” recipes that have 400-500+ calories in them.  Just because they cut out some of the fat, they aren’t necessarily healthy AND low cal.
• Public restrooms, I detest them, can’t stand the thought of touching the door handle when I leave, and don’t get me started about people who pee on the toilet seat.  Ewwwwwwww
• I annoy myself when I’m on my cell in a checkout lane, I know I drive other people nutso, but does that stop me from talking, NOT!
• Old summer beach music from the 60’s.  I DETEST it.  I absolutely HATE those stupid old Beach Boys!
• Kelly Ripa, I used to like her, but now she drives me nuts.  Ditto, Joy Behar.
• People who yell at kids and dogs.  I just want to smack them!
• Bratwurst, yuck, yuck, yuck!
• Anything that even slightly resembles secretarial work.  I did that for years, and hate the thought of even typing a letter now.

I could just sit at this computer and type stuff that annoys me all day. 

And I’m in a really good mood, today, too…

Well, I am!!!!!

 

Ya know what doesn’t annoy me?  Ever?

• The girls.  Nope, they never do…..

Haaaa, that was sure a short list!

Maggie Moo, it doesn’t get much cuter than this….

No time to blog….

I need to change my header, put up a new slide show, add entries to Jan Can Cook and Eating Right.

Instead I’ve been to Louisville to the dentist, major work looming.  Sinus lift, bone graft, implants.  Oh fun…

It’s literally been the week from hell, oh, my purse was stolen, too.  Blogging has been on the back burner, I’ll get it in gear again, check back, I’m still kicking…

Monty’s Joy Juice

 

This plant  food is apparently “da bomb” girlfriends.  The company is based out of Louisville, my neighbor uses it, and her fleurs are beautiful, and tomatoes are huge.  She swears by the stuff!

Here’s the click.  Catchy name, huh? *wicked grin*

Strawberry Smoothies, best thing EVER!!!!!

I talk about these on my Eating Right blog, but if you don’t read it, you’re missing out on the best treat of the summer.

Take a cup of frozen strawberries (50 calories) , 3/4 cup of Dannon Lite & Fit Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt (110 calories per cup) (I buy it in the large containers) 3 packets of Splenda, put all in a blender, or your Magic Bullet, if you have one, whir it until smooth, and you have this wonderful thick ice cream like concoction.  It’s absolutely wonderful, you would never know it’s healthy, it’s only 2 WW points, or if you count calories, it’s under 150 calories.  Even if you don’t eat healthy, you’ll love this – totally awesome.  I cut the frozen berries in half, they blend easier.  I don’t add skim milk or soy milk to this, but if you would prefer it not so thick you could add probably 1/8 or 1/4 cup.  But why anybody would want to thin this down is beyond me.  It’s great just eating it with a spoon.  Any frozen fruit works, frozen bananas, pineapple, peaches, raspberries or a combo of fruits.  This stuff is totally yummy, totally decadent, but without the guilt!  Pinkie swear…

Love is…

When you’re on a road trip and hubby goes in the grocery store to buy you a healthy, low fat,  lunch to eat in the car, instead of driving thru fast food for junk!  And even better, it was his idea, and he didn’t complain about it…

Why eat in the car?  We had the M&M’s, it was so hot, I didn’t want to have to put them in their Sherpa carrier and take them in a restaurant, and besides, I’ve always loved to eat in the car…  

It’s those simple things. again…

A refreshing shower, the smell of  baby lotion on my skin, the sting of Carmex on my lips, a glass of iced water with lemon, a good book, a comfy bed, the M&M’s nestled against my side,  hubby snoozing beside me.  I’m feeling pure joy right now…

It doesn’t take a lot to make my day night, I’m such a cheap date…

The Furminator, it’s a very good thing…

Heads up, girlfriends, obviously I have stumbled onto something here…  If you have dogs that shed, which thankfully, my Yorkies don’t, but most of you do, there is a product called The Furminator that removes up to 90% of excessive pet hair.  Just link to their website, lots of information about it, even a video of a dog being groomed with it.

I heard about it last week on Martha Stewart Radio.  The vet show was on and they were discussing how good it was.  This weekend, I was looking at one of my FaceBook friend’s page, she was commenting about her shedding dogs, so I told her about this.

Another one of her friends read it, went right out and bought this tool, and here’s what he has to say about it -

Just bought a Furminator for Titus. FANTASTIC! When I was done our deck looked like one of those photos. It's the best gadget I've ever had for trimming a dog.

You can probably buy this deshedder locally, at your pet store, there is a store locator on their site, several stores in Heavensville sell them, including PetSmart.  It’s also available from Amazon, of course it is, absolutely  everything is available from Amazon.  It’s not expensive, just $20 or so, and well worth it to get rid of pet hair in your house!

The girls are doing well with their Natural Instincts Flea and Tick Spray.  I give them a bath, dry them, then saturate them with the spray.  I work it into their skin really well, especially the pads of their feet and legs, around their tail and behind their ears, then I blot the excess with a towel, and comb them and put them in front of the fan until they dry.  I don’t want to use the blow dryer on them after I soak them with it, I’m afraid it might be too harsh.

I’m getting used to them smelling like cloves, and they could care less what they smell like! I’m not seeing any fleas, and since they are little dogs, the bottle will last forever.

I had a few questions, so I called their company.  I was concerned about them licking themselves and ingesting some of the product, but they assured me that it’s 100% safe, non-toxic, I have nothing to worry about.  There is also the usual blurb on the bottle about not getting it in your eyes, flushing your skin with water, etc., but they told me that 99% of people and dogs have no problem.  The representative says she uses it on herself because it repels mosquitoes.

Did I blog part of this already, about the smell, calling the company and the mosquito repellent?  It seems vaguely familiar.  Oh well, I’m old, I’m senile, ignore me…

I had been applying it with rubber gloves, but she said no need to do that either, so I applied it with my hands, and she was right.  No irritation whatsoever, in fact, it made my hands really soft. 

It conditions their coat, but does not leave it greasy.  That was a big no-no for me, if it did, I want them fluffy, not greasy!  It just soaks in, and they are soft and shiny, like always.  What I don’t understand  is why they get fleas anyway!  They are much too cute for nasty old fleas to bother them…  Well, they are!

I’m outta here, gonna to go outdoors and sing in the sunshine.  If any of you try The Furminator, let me know what you think…

Former President Bush joins the mile high club, ummmm kinda…

 

No, not that mile high club, and not that  former President, this is the old guy, the  85 year old former President…

He parachuted on his birthday.  Impressive???  Well, not in my opinion.

I think the old fart is actually pretty stupid.  Geezy Pete, he has brittle bones,  his ticker is probably on it’s last leg and he’s parachute jumping?  Now that’s really smart.

Oh my, I bet Babs was watching him from the ground, hanging on to that pearl choker and his life insurance policy for dear life.  Silly old man!

What guys won’t do to chase a thrill!!!!  Even the old ones…

Men Schmen!!!

Do you remember baby doll pajamas?

Mother made me baby doll pajamas,  just like these, when I was growing up.    Mine  always had bloomer bottoms,were trimmed in  ruffles and lace, sometimes they were made of pink or lavender or my favorite yellow gingham checks, I had a pair made from white eyelet, and several pairs made from  breezy cotton prints.

They were adorable, those pajamas.  Now, girls,  (women, too) sleep in tank tops or tee shirts and boxers, nothing even resembling pajamas.

They don’t know what they’re missing.  These PJ’s that look so dated now, were absolutely the cutest things in the day.  Mine were always dried on a clothesline, and smelled fantastic when I slipped them on.  Such good memories…

Oh my age is really showing,  isn’t it… 

Spoiled little dogs…..

The M*M’s are so rotten that they won’t eat if I’m not in the room with them.  They will leave their food in the bowl until it dries up and turns brown.

I make them lunch, go in the other room, they follow me, and stare at me.  So I cave, I bring the food to where I am, and they happily eat every bite!

Are they spoiled, do you think?????

And about that flea spray.  It really works, but holy crap, my house is starting to smell like cloves.  When I go out, I smell like cloves! 

I don’t wanna smell like grandma’s Christmas cookies!!!  I called the company, asked them if they were going to make this in another scent, of course they aren’t.  But the girl did say that she sprays this stuff on herself, that its a great mosquito repellent.

I might as well go ahead and squirt it, I reek of cloves anyway….

Aging and not being in the loop

I’m fifty-nine now, that big 6-0 is staring me in the face and I’m finding more and more that I have a hard time “fitting in” with our youth obsessed culture. 

My taste is diversified, I was always a fan of of magazines like Glamour, In Style, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Ladies Home Journal. to name a few.  But when I look thru them now, I can’t identify with the content.  Their pages are geared toward women in their thirties or forties, or young mothers and twenty somethings, all of which I’m not.  I can remember the days when I couldn’t wait for the latest Glamour to arrive in the mail, I thumbed thru one the other day and couldn’t relate to any of it. 

For a time I subscribed to MORE Magazine, for women over forty, but now it’s hard to identify with it when you’re approaching sixty!

It’s depressing to shop, my friends and I lament all the time about the fact that there are no great clothes for women our age.  There aren’t a lot of choices out there.  All we want are cute clothes, unique designs that don’t look like they are something our daughters would wear and definitely not things that look matronly.  But the choices just aren’t there.

The department stores are the samo-samo, the other day I was in Macy’s, it was just gawdawful stuff, and on my way out I walked thru the Junior Department.  It was filled with color and style, really great clothes, none of which would work for me, of course. It was really depressing!

Movies?  It’s rare that there is something that really appeals to me any more… And television, forget that.  Just can’t relate to what’s on the tube, maybe that’s why I’m so involved with the computer, I have more choices.

And so I trudge along, getting more and more out of sync with each birthday, wondering what it will be like for me in another ten years if I’m having these problems now.  Will I give up and just not care?

I’m not ready to settle down and read AARP Magazines, I suspect a lot of you aren’t either and can easily relate to this post,

What new interests do we develop at this age that work for us, it’s unchartered territory.  Part of it is cosmetic, do we color or go gray?  Do we need to give up the bronzer and settle for soft pink blush?  Heaven forbid we embrace mom jeans!!!   Silly stuff, I know, but we’ve changed, our bodies and looks have changed, how do we make it work now?

Is there hope, I like to think there is, I just haven’t figured out a new “fit” as I’ve moved away from the old one steadily thru the years.  I think we need a trendy magazine for women 50 and beyond.  A great television show for women our age would be wonderful.  But so far it isn’t happening…

It’s pretty bad when we have to look at what Paula Deen is wearing to get ideas.

Egads, this is a depressing post, but it’s reality…

Home again….

My allergies, which by the way I never had until the past two or three years have been giving me fits. 

I was fine in Nashville, no scratchy throat, no itchy ears, or watery eyes.  This morning we got about an hour from home, my throat closes up and allergies are giving me fits!!!

What is it anyway???  Something has to be blooming or flowering here but not in Nashville.  Egads, it’s only three hours away!!!!

So here I sit, blowing my nose and rubbing my eyes, oh, it’s soooo good to be home!!!

Natural Chemistry Flea and Tick Spray

It’s flea season, and I always seem to have more problems than most.  We wonder if it’s because the horse pasture is right in front of our condo, and are probably transmitting them to our yard.

I use FrontLine Plus on the girls, but lately it hasn’t been as effective, as it should be, after a couple of weeks I start to see fleas on them, so a couple of weeks ago I tried Advantix. 

Well, that was a disaster for Maggie.  She had an allergic reaction to it and was scratching and biting her fur, and I was giving her a bath at 12:30 in the morning trying to get rid of the stuff!

So here we are, two weeks later, at John’s, Mollie is doing fine, no fleas on her, the Advantix worked for her, but Maggie has fleas again!  And we’re at somebody elses house!!!!!

So I’m in a panic, not knowing what to do, and absolutely hating every time I put those toxic drops of flea killer on them anyway, but I’m desperate!  I’ve Googled myself silly trying to find alternative flea prevention, and the words cinnamon oil and cedar wood oil mentioned over and over again.  But I had no luck finding essential oils in Heavensville.

So today we trekked to the pet store, the clerk showed me where the flea and tick sprays were located and John spotted this Natural Chemistry Flea and Tick Spray for dogs.  It said it was all botanical, non toxic, totally healthy for your dog, and the ingredients were, you guessed it, oil of cinnamon, oil of cedar wood, and oil of cloves!

So I grabbed a bottle, and the checkout lady informed me that she has nine Chihuahua's and two great danes at home, and this is the only product she ever uses and never has fleas.  Well, that sold me!!!

So I buy it, and we come home with the guys teasing me, telling me that I’m such a sucker and that lady probably doesn’t even have a dog.  Yeah, right, she was a nice old lady, I believed her.

So I come home, take Mags out on the deck and start spraying her.  The fleas died, in just a few minutes they were GONE!!!!

So, naturally I’m doing the happy dance here, showing those silly men that it really does work, and thrilled that I got rid of those pesky fleas without chemicals.

So, just had to share, some of you might benefit from this, too.  We’re back home tomorrow.  Back to my regular routine, whatever that is.  I’ll update you on how well this spray continues to work…

~ jan

Bread & Co., oh it was so yummy…

My lunch today was low fat chicken salad, edaname bean succotash and black beans and corn with a sourdough roll. 

Since yours truly has been dieting seriously since April 1, this food tasted absolutely amazing.  This little Nashville deli is so good, it was fun to just sit and people watch.  This restaurant is supposed to be a favorite of Nicole Kidman, I can see why, the food is amazing…

Coppertone, oh, does it ever take me back to the ‘60’s….

We’re at John’s in Nashville for a few days, he’s building a waterfall and pond in his back yard, Dad is helping, Mom made breakfast, and tried not to interfere, but first thing this morning he brought me sunscreen to put on him, I took one whiff, and it was like going back in time.

Does anything smell better than Coppertone Suntan Lotion?  The smell hasn’t changed a bit over the years.  Deanna says Coppertone reminds her of sunshine, it reminds me of being young again, listening to my transistor radio, and drinking Pepsi out of a bottle, while laying in the sun giggling with girlfriends.

Oh, it smells so good.  Hooterville has a bottle of the oil, and regularly takes off the lid and smells it because she likes it, too.

Yours truly is going to be hotfooting it down to WallyWorld to buy my own bottle.  Then I’ll slather it on, and just enjoy!!!  I just bought a new bottle of Johnson Baby Lotion because I’m addicted to the way it smells, I’ll just add Coppertone to my rotation….

Vintage Commercials, this Bayer Aspirin is one of the best!

Well, I had a huge mess…….

It was late, I was making hubby’s dinner, putting the box of rice in the back of the pantry, and all of a sudden there was a loud kersplat!!!  I was trying to manuever the box, and instead of taking out everything in front of where I was putting it, I was trying to wedge it to the back, and I wasn’t paying attention to the large jar of salsa sitting in front of where  was trying to cram the rice, and the friggin’ salsa jar fell on the stone floor, and of course it shattered and sprayed salsa everywhere…

Oh, I was soooo upset.  I was tired, and the M&M’s were looking at me like, snack, Mom?  I scooped up their little furry bodies and deposited them in the bedroom and shut the door.   That’s all I needed was for them to wade into it and cut themselves, or heaven forbid try and lap some of it up!

I had the trash can out, scooping salsa with my trusty bash ‘n chop into the garbage, the girls were in the bedroom whining to get out, and all the while, I’m throwing an absolute hissy fit.  Of course nobody was around to hear me but the dogs, but sometimes you just have to vent!

Oh, what a mess it was!  Hubby came in and cleaned up the last of it for me, telling me not to be so hard on myself, that he does stupid stuff, too.  Sweet man, attitude is everything, and sometimes you just need somebody to understand…

Mollie, one day post-op….

Mollie is out of surgery….

The vet just called, it was a hernia.  Thank goodness that’s all it was! 

She came thru surgery fine, I’ll pick her up late this afternoon.  Now maybe I can relax a bit.  This hasn’t been fun!

~ jan

Susan Boyle, Picasso Style…

Okay, I admit it, this made me smile.  It’s not the cleavage, or the cigar, or even the rose or the champagne.  It’s the mole on the boob.

Maybe I’m just looking for a reason to smile this morning, ya think?  It’s 10:54, Mollie will be going into surgery soon.  I’ll update you later today….

Sometimes life just isn’t fair….

 

I found a lump on Mollie a few nights ago.  It just popped up suddenly near her belly button.

It’s either a hernia or a tumor, so she has to have surgery in the morning.  Mollie is such a sweet little soul, oh how I hate this for her.

If I could just explain to her that what’s going on, but no, she looks at me and trusts me, and I have to drop her off at the vet for surgery, and she won’t understand what’s happening to her.

Yeah, I’m in a pretty p*ssy mood, tonite…  Poor little sugar bear…

Baby and the boxer on Bonnie Hunt

I saw this on Bonnie this morning and had to share.  This will definitely tug at your heartstrings…   Oh, this is so precious!!!!!

New Recipes on Eating Right….

I just posted recipes for an awesome One Point Dreamsicle Smoothie and Roni’s Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes on Eating Right. 

I made the pancakes for breakfast, again, they are to die for!!! 

Guess who’s Twittering?

Yep, it’s Elizabeth Taylor.  She goes by the name DameElizabeth - You can follow her here…  She’s pushing her perfume and her Gay Rights agenda, but if you dig deeper, she talks about her dog and what she eats.  Something about a peek into a celebrity’s life that is fascinating… Especially, ET!

Remembering summer mornings of my childhood, my how things have changed….

Early summer mornings in the country, windows wide open, curtains billowing in he breeze, birds singing, heavy dew on the grass sparkling in the morning sunlight. 

Mother would always rise early.  She would work steadily in the early morning hours before the heat of the day.  By eight o’clock she would have already pulled her wringer washing machine out of the wash house, washed laundry and have it hanging on the line to dry.She would tour her garden, check her fleurs in the yard, often picking a bouquet, and putting them on the table in a fruit jar.

I can just hear the screen door banging as she went in and out of the house.  She would empty dishwater on her fleurs, and draw a bucket of fresh water from the well.  The water was always so cool and I remember the distinctive, metallic taste of the dipper, as I would raise it to my mouth for a drink.

I would tumble out of bed, pull on a pair of shorts, and often a little elastic topped peasant blouse that she had sewn several of for me from a favorite pattern, brush my hair into a pony tail, and after a trip to the outhouse, followed by a dog or two and baby kittens, we would argue about breakfast, as she always thought I needed nourishment and I absolutely detested breakfast food.

Our radio would be tuned in to WROY, getting the latest local news and farm reports, and I had a list of chores to accomplish, also.  It was a busy time, summer mornings, there were vegetables to tend in the garden, and weeds to hoe.  I can just see Mother, with her apron turned up like a basket, full of vegetables, heading into the house with the bounty her garden had given her. We had chickens, and there were eggs to pluck from the nests, often under an old hen that didn’t want to part with them, they would try and peck the back of your hand with their beaks.

I remember bees, and flies, and cherry trees heavily laden with bright red fruit, and of course the sounds of the red winged blackbirds on my beloved  ditch bank.

Oh, how different it is today, when we rise to an automatic coffeepot perking our morning cuppa, in a cool, climate controlled house.  We take for granted our flush toilets and our hot showers, and our washing machines and our freezers stocked with food.  But I remember how it was. 

I’ll always remember…

Do any of you have memories you would like to share? Mary, you should comment on this one, I’m sure this post has taken you back to your childhood, as we both lived similar lives…

Whew, it’s 89 degrees…

Now the fun begins…

My little granddaughter will  be swinging  herself to sleep in this in just a few months….

Starlight, Star bright…every parent wishes for a swing like this for baby! The comfy-cozy seat and head support cradle baby in cushy comfort as she swings in a side-to-side or front-to-back swinging motion. A sweet little canopy surrounds baby and sways along with the swing motion while 8 delightful songs entertain. Baby can also watch stars float all around as they spin overhead. When it’s nap time, mom can play different music—8 additional lullabies and sounds to calm and soothe baby. And with the flick of a switch, there’s a magical starry night light show that projects onto the canopy! Perfect for floating off to dreamland. Six soothing swing speeds, and 2-position reclining seat.

Ironing, it’s a lost art….

Back in the day I ironed every week, standing over the ironing board, ironing big baskets of clothes. Hubby’s dress shirts, the kids clothes, pillowcaes, creasing our jeans, the steam just rolling and spitting from the iron.  It was a pain in the patootie, too.

Those days are long gone, creases in jeans are totally wrong and have been since the 80’s, the kids are grown, hubby’s shirts get a quick going over the morning he wears them.  I iron on demand.  It’s been years since our clothes have all been pressed and hanging in the closet.  My linen shirts hang unworn a lot of times because I just don’t want to dewrinkle them…

Maybe I should do it once more, just for old times sake, catch up on my ironing.  Huh, what am I thinking? That’s hard work ironing, nope, I’ll just keep on ironing them when we need them.  It’s working for me so far…

You’re about to read the most exciting wonderful thing, that I’ve blogged about, EVER!!!!

How many years have I been complaining that  I have no grandchildren???  FOREVER!!!!  I’ve repeatedly told my family that my clock is ticking, and they just smile and ignore me.

But dreams really do come true, and I’m finally going to be a Grandmother.  Ryan and Lindsay are expecting, and the baby is due October 13th.

And not only are they expecting, but they’re having a GIRL!!!!  Oh, I’m so thrilled, can’t you just see me knee deep in ribbons and bows, polka dots and frills…  It’s going to be so much fun!!!!  Hubby and I were in Versailles this week and went with them for the ultrasound.  We saw little hands and feet, and a little turned up button nose.  It was a magical moment, one that is now frozen in time and to be remembered forever.  Lindsay looks adorable pregnant, and Ryan is besides himself with excitement.  This little baby is going to have wonderful parents.

Life is  so good in Heavensville this week.  I’m a lucky, lucky lady… 

Demi Moore’s missing tooth….

She was in the dentists’ office having her tooth replaced and they took this picture, then she posted it on her Twitter page.

Just had to share this in case you all haven’t seen it.  It’s just something you don’t expect from a celebrity…

Moore writes: "I lost it and had to have it fixed! I personally thought this look went out after you were eight, didn't know I would be rocking it again!"

"Happy to share and always appreciate the opportunity to find humility!!! Or at least be able to laugh at myself!"

Hi from Versailles…

We’re at Ryan and Lindsay’s for a few days.  No computer time, but I’ll be back soon, have so much to share with all of you.

~ jan

Remembering what today is all about…

I have a new toy, a Bella Cucina Rocket Blender…

I made myself a protein shake in the blender this morning, and it was a gawdawful mess.  I was trying to scrape the sides down to get the chocolate mixture out, then I had to take the whole thing apart to wash it, and because I had used ice in the shake, I couldn’t use my immersion blender, I had to use the big blender and I was in a snit.

I knew that Nisha had a Magic Bullet, the blender in the infomercials that uses a cup to mix your liquids in, and then you can drink it right from the cup, so I called her.

She told me that Macy’s had a knock-off on sale for $19.99, a much better price than the $50+ for the Magic Bullet and since hubby was working, I trekked off to Macy’s to buy one.

I bought it, came home, washed it, and faster than a New Yawk minute I had dumped in vanilla yogurt, a bit of splenda, fresh strawberries and frozen raspberries/blueberries/blackberries, and it blended it to perfection.

Wow, I’m hooked.  You all know how I love a good kitchen gadget, and this little blender works great.  I Googled it and read really good reviews before I bought it, and it’s perfect.  Clean-up is so easy, it’s so much better than that big old blender.  And yes, I have a smoothie machine in the garage, sitting on a shelf, but it’s a pain in the patootie, too, because it’s hard to wash.  I’m old now, I like simple things….

So now I can bore you all with my smoothie recipes. 

Here’s the specs on the blender for you -  and here’s the link if you want to see what it’s all about

Perfect for smoothie lovers on the run, the blending jar doubles as a cup so you can do a quick mix, take your drink and go

Includes 5 cups(4 tall and 1 short), along with various lids

Stainless steel housing features a brushed finish

Frostie, the Cockatoo, Dancing to Shake Your Tail Feather!

Funniest damned thing I’ve seen in ages.  This bird has rhythm.  Oh, I’m laughing so hard.  Crank the speakers and watch this!

I just had the most amazing cup of coffee, Kenya…

Ang came by yesterday, dropped off this new coffee she loves for me to try.  I brewed it this morning and OMG, it’s amazing.  Rich, full bodied, flavorful, if you’re a townie, you can get it at Briar & Bean, if not, look for it at your local coffee shop, the name of it is Kenya.  Totally awesome cuppa…

Why is it???

That some colors are used for people’s names, and others aren’t?

When I was growing up, Emma White lived across the field and George Black owned a neighboring farm.  Hubby once had a woman  that worked for him,  and her name was Ann Green.  Now, she was really a redneck, a total hilljack, and she named her little boy after her husband, whose name was Buster.  And his middle name was Bleu.  This kid was Buster Bleu Green.  I’m serious, I pinkie swear, it was.  She called him Bleu Green.  Can you imagine what that kid had to go through in school?

But back to the names, nobody is ever named Mr. Yellow, Mr. Orange or Ms. Red.  Why is that???

Just pondering, tonight…

Remember Helen Crump???

I was watching TvLand with hubby tonight, and Andy Griffith was on.  His lady love, Helen Crump was at a party, and oh, she was so cute.  Tall and thin, in a pretty dress, with her false eyelashes on, she was flitting around, and I was reminded of what a fan of hers I was when I was a teenager.  I Googled her, sadly she died in 1995.  These actors, to me, are frozen in time, it’s always shocking to see them age or find out that they have passed away.  Speaking of which, has anyone seen Donna Douglas (Ellie Mae Clampett) lately?  Oh my, it’s downright scary, she still has the same hairdo, still wears the same clothes, but she’s older than dirt, now…

Here is Aneta Corsaut’s biography…

Born in Hutchinson, Kansas, Corseaut made her feature film debut appearing opposite Steve McQueen in the cult favorite ‘The Blob’ in 1958. In 1964 she landed the recurring role of Helen Crump in ‘The Andy Griffith Show’. It is the role for which she is probably best remembered. Other television apperences included that of Nurse Bradley on ‘House Calls’ during the late 1970s and early 1980s, as well as guest roles in dozens of television shows including ‘Emergency’, ‘Gunsmoke’, ‘Hart to Hart’ and ‘Matlock’ with her old co-star Griffith, the last time in 1991. She died four years later in Studio City, California, after a battle with cancer.

Note:  I also Googled to see if she was married, or had children, here’s what I found - 

She was a lesbian but had to keep it in the closet because of the family type of show the "Andy Griffith Show" was.

Now why am I shocked at this, I’m never shocked….. hmmmmmmm

James Cagney and Bob Hope Dance Routine….

Cousin Pam sent me the link to this, Bob Hope is quite the hoofer, I didn’t realize that… This will put a smile on your face this morning, ladies…

My week so far…

Sick hubby…

Sick dog… (Mollie, ear infection)

Sick car…

Now, sick me!!!

Oh joy….

Wild honeysuckle, it truly is heaven scent…

Men Schmen!!!

It’s too pretty out to stay inside and blog, I’ll be back later…

"In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?"
-   Robert Louis Stevenson, Bed in Summer 

------------------------

"Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair
and let us huddle together as darkness takes over
We are at home amidst the birds and the trees,
for we are children of nature."
-  Susan Polis Shutz

------------------------

"If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall."
-   Nadine Stair

Happiness is… Being Old, Male and Republican

Well, isn’t this just fascinating!  No wonder old men are happy, they have old women waiting on them!!!!  As far as the Republican part, I’m not even going there.

~ jan

Americans grow happier as they age, surveys find. And a new Pew Research Center survey shows the tendency is holding up as the economy tanks.

Happiness is a complex thing. Past studies have found that happiness is partly inherited, that Republicans are happier than Democrats, and that old men tend to be happier than old women.

Read more

I always wanted to be a Rockette…

When I was a little girl I used to watch The Rockettes perform on Ed Sullivan.  I loved their leggy, high kicks, the glittery costumes, the top hats, the tails, the fishnet tights, the sky high heels, the makeup, the hair,  it was all fabulous!  That was my secret dream, to be a Rockette…

I always wanted to tap dance, too.  That would have been much more doable than being a Rockette, but I never followed thru on it  Chase your dreams, ladies, do what you heart tells you.  It’s too late for me to tap dance, *sigh* Scarlett needs to find a new dream…

I think I’m a pretty fair person….

Whether I’m giving the M&M’s bites of fruit, a handful of Cheerios, or morsels of the chicken that they are so fond of, they sit patiently, waiting their turn, knowing that I will feed one a bite, then the other.  Some dogs try and snatch food out of your hands or from other dogs, not these two, they trust me, they know their turn is coming. 

I think these little creatures are wonderful, spoiled, maybe, and not made to mind like some dogs are.  They aren’t disciplined, but that’s okay, they’re good little dogs. They don’t need to be disciplined.

I must have been fair with the boys when they were growing up, too.  They were never jealous of each other, and I didn’t make them mind that much either.  Hubby was the bad cop, I was the good cop.  They were good little boys who grew up to be great men, despite the lack of discipline from their Mother.  “Hey, go ahead jump on the bed, it’s okay with me, just quit jumping when your Dad comes home,” I used to say…

I like to think that both my dogs and my guys are wonderful because, in part, I’m fair.  I’m also a sucker for kids and animals, a total pushover, with a marshmallow heart, but let’s not go there…

Healthy dog food…

I take pictures in my garden every day…

Twitter just keeps on growing….

Now farmers are Twittering.  Topics like weather, soil temperature, and farm equipment are the focus of the tweets.  Well, it does make sense, and even though I am tired of hearing the Twitter buzzword every time you turn on the television, I must admit, it is mesmerizing….

Godspeed Farrah Fawcett, you were a brave warrior…

Women of my generation are the same age as Farrah Fawcett.  We admired her beauty as a young woman, copied her hairstyle, envied her lithe and muscular body, watched as she fell in love with Ryan O’Neal, and felt sorry for her when he left her for a younger woman.  We watched her battles with men, including taking a ball bat to one of their cars in a domestic dispute just a few years ago.  At times she seemed to have no substance, we thought she was vain, an aging Hollywood star who wasn’t coping with growing older.

Those of us who thought so, were obviously very, very wrong.  I have followed her cancer battle, knew that this documentary that aired tonight on NBC was a work in process, and was anxious to see it.  Hubby, thought it would be depressing, he didn’t choose to watch with me.

There has been a lot of controversy about this program, some doctor’s arguing that it shouldn’t be shown as it was degrading to cancer patients, others supporting her right to film and show what cancer is really like.  I didn’t find it depressing, it was very sad, but it was so uplifting to see her emerge as this strong  woman, and she was so determined to live, that, for me, it was an inspiration just watching her wage battle against the disease.  She didn’t feel sorry for herself, gone was the little girl image we’ve seen in the past, she faced the beast with dignity and tried her best to survive.

She is much stronger than the men in her life.  I’ve never been a fan of Ryan O’Neal, it’s obvious that he loves her, he’s stood by her during this battle, but he is an obnoxious excuse of a man, who has not been a role model for any of his children.  The honesty of this documentary was brutal, it showed her son, Redmond, in jail for drug possession, being brought to her bed in chains, and her so weak that she barely was aware that he was there.  He preened for the camera, grinning as he was led out in his chains, and you have to wonder if he has learned anything in his sorry excuse of a life of privilege.  He showed no remorse, it was not pleasant to watch.

She will not win this war, it is obvious that the end is very near, but oh, how I admire this  woman.  She had the courage to let the cameras roll when she was nauseated and vomiting, she let us see her with no hair, we heard her cry in pain when they probed her liver with needles, but we also were privileged to see the strength and the power of the woman.  It was a beautiful thing to behold, the grace with which she faced her disease.  What riveting television it was.

Godspeed, Farrah, the pain will be over soon…

If you missed this and are interested in future airings, here is a schedule:

OXYGEN - Sat, May 16 - 4:00 PM
OXYGEN - Sun, May 17 - 1:00 PM
BRAVO - Mon, May 18 - 11:00 PM
BRAVO - Tue, May 19 - 1:00 AM

Talking Dogs, I love my mama….

Carlene sent me this video this afternoon, these dogs are absolutely precious, and I’m certain, without a doubt that the M&M’s tell me they love me all the time, too.  Well, they do!  I just don’t have it on video….yet!

And did you also know that I heard thru the family grapevine that my oldest son, John, has taken to calling me the crazy cat lady, but with dogs.  Hmmmmm, I wonder why? 

It’s a thought…

Ever consider what pets must think of us?  I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul - chicken, pork, half a cow.  They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!  ~Anne Tyler, The Accidental Tourist

Things are blooming…

I took some time yesterday, took pictures of my fleurs and built a new slide show.  I’m surprised at the growth of everything so early.  Every time I step out my door onto my patio, it’s like wow!  I thought all the rain would just make them rot in the ground, apparently not….

I know I have to enjoy this now, the dog days of summer will be here soon and despite my daily watering, it won’t be quite as lush as it is in this merry month of May.

Carpe Diem….

Another one of those simple things I talk about so often…

We’ve had nothing but rain this spring in Heavensville. The ground is saturated, the plants are saturated, in other words it’s a muddy mess!

The yard is so muddy the M&M’s have to have their paws wiped every time they traipse thru the grass in search of the perfect spot to potty.

And yours truly has had a helluva time.  Sometimes I need to go in the yard.  My windowbox is the perfect example.  It’s attached to the back of the patio fence, and it’s so muddy behind the patio where I have to walk to access it that I get my shoes filthy. The fleurs needed deadheading,  so I asked hubby to snip for me since he always wears his rubber clogs.  Well snip he did, first cut and he whacked off my biggest dahlia blossom.  I swear that man, who normally has a lot of finesse, is like a bull in a china shop when it comes to fleurs.

I had to do something, I was tired of washing my tennies and didn’t want to resort to puting plastic grocery sacks over my feet like I did last week to avoid the mud, and I was talking about these garden clogs this weekend.  The family thought they wouldn’t work for me, since my prosthetic feet are stationary and the clogs are cushy on the bottoms, but low and behold they work just great!  I tried on a pair in the store, and walked easily in them. So now I have not one, but two pairs of these rubber lovelies uglies, yellow and orange.

It’s such a joy to be able to put them on and muck around in the yard, you have no idea, girlfriends…. Love, love, love those simple things…

This is seriously freaking me out…

We all get these emails, you know the ones, warning us to be careful in parking lots,  or not to eat certain foods, all kinds of plausible sounding things that we read and quickly forget.

But a few weeks ago I received an email telling me how we should always wash soda can tops before we drink, because soda is stored in warehouses and might have mouse droppings, chemicals, etc. on the tops of the cans.

That one hit home.  Since I’m hopelessly addicted to Diet Cherry Coke and have been for years, I drink too many cans daily and I never wash the tops.  Or at least I didn’t until that email.  But think about it, no telling what germs are lurking on the soda cans that we pop the tops on and put to our lips.

Makes me shudder at the thought!  This soda guzzler now washes or at the very least wipes before she swigs.  Think about it…

~ jan

I’ve had no time to blog….

No updates on eating right, no tweeting, except what I eat, no new dishes posted on jancancook, but life is back to normal now, family is gone, and I’ll be back soon yak-a-doodle-dooing…

Just wanted you all to know that I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth….

This is what you eat when you fall off the Weight Watcher’s Bandwagon…..

It was a controlled cheat, though, I planned for this.  The kids asked me what I wanted for dessert today, and this is was it!  It’s strawberry shortcake like  Mammy Smith (great-grandma) made when I was a little girl.  I always called it pie stacked on top of pie.  It consists of layers of homemade piecrust, with juicy, sugar Splenda sweetened berries and whipped cream.  And yes, it was as good as it looks!  Lindsay made the piecrust this morning, and it was just awesome, really flaky and buttery, it was so yummy!  We ate on the patio, it was a sunny 68 degree day in Heavensville, the weather was just gawjus. finally!

I had a great Mother’s Day, I hope you all did as well.  And I hope that your dessert, whatever it was, was as good as this was! 

And since I’ve been dieting for the past month now, the taste was even better, I’m sure…

Happy Mother’s Day….

Mother’s Day…

When I was a little girl, if I remember correctly it was the fourth grade, Mrs. Wilson was my teacher and I made mother a card for Mother’s Day.  It was made of construction paper, I colored a purple iris on the front, and on the inside, I hand printed this verse…

In all the world
There is no other
Who can take the place,
Of my dear Mother

She saved it always, for fifty some-odd years.  It’s among her personal papers that are stored in the attic.  If I had it down, I would scan it for all of you, but not this year, I’m not ready to go thru her things yet.  Soon I will, but just not yet…

I really don’t have a brain…

I got this email from Carlene this morning -

Hey, Jan,

I love your new and improved window box....very nice indeed.   Thought you might like to correct yourself about your new wooden 'flamingo' from the Baby Store....I'll just bet you it's a STORK

Geezy Pete, of course they are storks.  Duh Jan.  Baby Shop???? Comprende???  I am laughing so hard here, oh I am such a ditz!!!!  Can’t believe I thought the storks were flamingos.  I’m just hopeless…

Jan, p*ssing and moaning about her internet connection….

Arughhhhh, I’m having problems with my internet connection yet again.  This isn’t my first rodeo with my ISP, it happened a few months back, if you all remember, I griped about it constantly, but magically, it “fixed” itself.  For a couple of days now, it’s been sluggish and intermittent, much like before and this morning I awoke to no connection at all.  I called Insight, the little man can’t come until tomorrow.  The technician put me thru the samo bells and whistles loops we always go thru.  Unplug, wait, plug back up, yadayadayada, nothing happened.

Of course, an hour later, it’s working again, not only working, but it’s the speed of light it’s so fast.  But I’m not going to cancel them coming, something is obviously going on here.

And do you know that before  I hung up this morning, that vapid little technician person asked me, “Would you be interested in our phone service, today?”  WTF? INTERESTED IN THEIR PHONE SERVICE???

That was the last straw, I said to her  “Are you kidding me?  Your internet service doesn’t work and you want me to add your phone service????? I don’t think so! Then I hung up.  She probably deleted my service call!  And if she did, I can’t even blame her stupidity on a man!!!!!  And no, I don’t want french fries with my diet coke, either!!!

Sorry guys, just had to vent this dreary  morning in Heavensville.  Sunshine?  Hell no!!!! But it’s been so foggy, we’ve had zero visibility!!!  Whoohoo…..

How two little bundles of fur rule my life….

I have a project I’m enjoying working with on the computer, I’m really interested in what I’m doing, and was going to spend a few more hours tonight working, while the juices are flowing…

But I have two fur kids who are thinking otherwise.  Maggie is standing beside me, jumping up and down like a pogo stick, barking her little head off, Mollie is sitting in the floor just staring at me.

They want me to go to bed.  Maggie barks and looks toward the bedroom, Mollie looks downright mad at me, and so what do I do?  Scold them, tell them to be quiet?  Heavens, no, I could never do that.  Hurt their sweet little  feelings?  No way…

So I’m off to bed, tomorrow is another day, why sit at the computer when I can snuggle with the dogs…

Say G’nite Gracie…

Townies, I have a piece of Heavensville History….

If you grew up in Heavensville, your mother undoubtedly bought your clothes from The Baby Shop.  It was a local institution for years.

It’s been gone since the 80’s, but hubby was at a tag sale last fall and someone was selling these flamingoes.  They were store fixtures from. yep, you guessed it, The Baby Shop…

The two by the waterfall are made of ceramic, the tall one is wooden, and you probably remember them in the store, I know I do.  The wooden one is dirty, and had a broken neck, which LC repaired, we won’t clean it though, it just wouldn’t be right.

So now the ceramic ones are living by the waterfall, and the wooden one is taken to the patio in pretty weather.  I am just thrilled. 

Just what I needed,  more geegaws in the garden.  I’m overflowing, but oh, these are just so special.

It’s almost dark now, but the rain has stopped, so I took bad pictures for you, they’re really dark, but if you click on them, you can see more detail.  I’ll take more when the sun shines.

 

These boxwoods are too pretty to smell like cat pee, but they DO!!!

Last year I had rosemary 0n these pots in the patio, it was huge and it was wonderful, and when you brushed against it, the smell was like a pine forest, but I’m not finding the big plants this year, so I decided that boxwoods would be better anyway, since they winter over.   After several discussions with V about varieties, I chose the english boxwood, because I like the small leaf.  I already have it in the garden, and I totally forgot how it smells like cat pee!

And since these beauties are big, the smell wafts right in your nostrils when you sit at the table.  Oh joy, what have I done now?  I can only hope that the smell will dissipate as summer gets further along.  Either that or it will intensify.  And I sure as hell won’t be brushing against it, as I don’t want to stir it up any more than it already is…

But since they are beauteous, not to mention pricey,  I’ll just light a candle and pretend I don’t smell anything.  Hmmmm, wonder how that’s gonna work out for me???  Oh, I can just hear the boys when they come home, they will tease me relentlessly about the cat pee smell.  Goodness me, Scarlett isn't going to think about it right now….. No siree….  Well, except that I’m in the sunroom typing this entry with the french door open to the patio, and the scent is drifting into the house.  Ohhhhh, Lawdee, the smell is just gawdawful…….

I could wile away the hours
Conferrin' with the flowers
Consultin' with the rain
And my head I'd be scratchin'
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain

The Scarecrow, from the Wizard of Oz

Olive Garden Salad Dressing and Breadsticks Recipes…

Heads up on this, ladies.  I found these recipes in my June/July issue of Food Network Magazine, courtesy of my buddy V.  Anyway, if this really tastes like they say it does, you all owe me for rest of your natural born lives.  I mean, let’s face it, most of us would kill for these recipes!!!!!

I posted these on Jan Can Cook, tonight…

Salad and Dressing

Breadsticks

I have a milestone, time to toot my own horn…..

Finally, FINALLY, I have broken thru that same 10 lb. gain and loss window that I’ve been doing for the past year and a half.  I got on the scale this morning and I’m into whole new digits.  Whoo-hoooo.  Haven’t seen this since January ‘08, and that was just for about 10  minutes before I started gaining again.

I’ve now lost 7.7 lbs. since the first of April.  And I’ve done it despite have the most sluggish metabolism imaginable!   I attribute my loss to the fact that  I tweet what I eat, every single day, every single morsel that I put in my mouth! It’s  the fact that I publish every single bite  that is keeping me accountable.

I have lots of recipes on my Eating Right blog, including  a ton of archived recipes in the right sidebar, you might get some ideas, too.  Last night I posted a recipe for a fantastic 2 point cornbread  from HungryGirl.  There are also links to other weight loss sites in the right sidebar of EatingRight.  My friend, Roni, has the best site, it’s called GreenLiteBites, and every one of her recipes that I’ve made has been killer.

Here’s a direct link to the tweets, join Twitter and follow me, you might get some ideas, too.  Most of what I eat sounds pretty bad, but once you get into the swing of it, it’s easily doable and the food tastes pretty darn good.  I read those labels, weigh my food on a scale, and try not to eat too much processed food.  For the most part, I’m not hungry,I’m  just being accountable, not eating junk  and not eating out much. 

We all know what a difficult journey this is, and I don’t know how successful I will be, but just for today, right now, it’s working, and for me, that’s quite an accomplishment.