I’m happy to report that Ryan is sleeping thru the night, already.
Seriously, he’s a great Daddy. He was so ready for this baby, he’s doing diaper duty and changing baby clothes. I hear excitement in his voice every time I talk to him….
I've been absolutely giddy for days now, trying to settle in today, get back to "normal" except that word has taken on a whole new meaning.
It's so hard not to bore all of you with constant bebe talk. I'll try to keep it to a dull roar, gang...
This has just been so totally overwhelming, that it's hard to find my rhythm... Duh, Jan what rhythm???
Abigail Leigh, such a pretty name for a precious little girl....
She was born at 10am EST. 7 lbs. 6 ounces, 19.5 inches. Mother and baby are doing great, Daddy, too!
We got the call at 2:30 am, left immediately, as did John and Deanna. We arrived before she was born and I got to spend some time with Lindsay.
Yes, I’m crying. I’ve cried all morning. Geez, and I thought I wasn’t hormonal anymore!
We haven’t seen her yet, Ry is sending us pictures from the delivery room.
Just wanted you to all see this precious little girl…
Later….
Ya, I know the picture is dark, it’s nighttime in Heavensville. I took the dogs out to potty, this is the first night the pumpkins were lit. Mags was brave, she woofed at them and went inside. If you look closely at the left side of the picture, you can barely see her little face peering out the door.
Mollie however was terrified of them. They scared the beejus out of the poor little dog. She ran for the garage, and I had to pick her up and carry her past them.
Dogs are so funny. My life would be so lost without them…
I saw this YouTube video of Kathy Lee Gifford talking about Rapid Lash. Then I started reading reviews, sure enough, people actually say this stuff works. Have any of you tried it? If anybody knows about this product, please comment… I wonder if it’s safe?
And finally, the video, and yes, I know she’s annoying as hell, just get over it and watch this..
Who doesn’t love her, she’s such a class act. I enjoyed the video with her husband, the older she gets, the more pronounced her Texas accent is. Her blog site just debuted, I thought you all might enjoy it.
Trisher and Hooterville went with me to Mule Day last Saturday.
It was a brisk fall day and we had a great time, watched the parade, spent time with Ang, saw her girls, and yep, we ended up in a corn field.
It’s a long story, and no, there was no alcohol involved, seriously.
We may be old, but we’re still a good time!!!
She would have been ninety-one today. She’s on my mind so often these days, as we await the arrival of this precious grandchild. She would have been so excited, she loved little children so much.
I’m cleaning closets, trying to keep my mind occupied, jumping every time the phone rings, it’s an exciting time in Heavensville this week, ladies…
We were on our picnic Thursday, everybody had to pee, so they traipsed down the path and around the bend, in search of the nasty outhouse. Everybody but me, no way I was going to trek thru the forest to get to that icky bathroom.
I’m a country girl after all, I was raised with an outhouse, remember. So while they were all hiking to the nearest facilities, yours truly just peed in the woods. There is nothing like a fall breeze on your nether regions, ladies, when you’re outside and nature calls. Jean is the only one that gets it, she, too enjoys the breeze on her butt, and has a colorful history of relieving herself in the cemetery.
Trish is so anal, no pun intended, that she brought along her own roll of toilet paper in case the “facilities” didn’t have any. Geezy Pete, do these women not know how to rough it?
As they were coming back, V asked me if I didn’t need to “go” and when I told her I “did,” and pointed over there, under the tree, you should have seen the look on her face. She had this shocked, rather horrified expression, it was so cute… I just sat there and cracked up.
Not my first rodeo in the woods, nor my last, I’m sure. Nope, not by a long shot. When in Rome….
I think that he is right on target with what he says. Did you know that he is now ninety-five years young, and still going strong… He’s obviously doing something right!
It wasn’t a particularly good weather forecast for a picnic. Showers were forecasted later in the afternoon, it was overcast and cool, but we trudged ahead, our group of old(er) women who picnic annually by the riverbank.
We unloaded supplies, Trish built our fire, Jean grilled the burgers, V and I sat and chatted, and you know what? We discovered that we didn’t have to have sunshine and 70+ weather. It was wonderful, sitting by the fire, the weather brisk and refreshing listening to the leaves rustle in the wind, the river rushing by, our cowboy coffee bubbling on the fire.
We ate, enjoyed nature, ate more… It was a picture perfect day, after all…
Beyond boosting alertness for up to 90 minutes, that morning cup is the number-one source of antioxidants in the American diet, and can help decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by as much as 60 percent.
Doesn’t this look amazing??? I just posted the recipe on Jan CAN Cook…
I just put this recipe on Jan CAN Cook, and tagged it for the Drinks section, that way we won’t lose track of it. She also sent me a recipe for a Broken Leg, made with hot apple cider and ginger brandy, it’s in Jan CAN Cook as well…
I had chicken and rice soup for lunch, and didn’t eat it all, so tonight when I was making the M&M’s dinner, I spooned that soup on top of their dog food.
OMG, you’ve never heard such slurping going on in your life! I’m sitting here, just cracking up, no doubt I’m going to have to wash faces in a bit, but they sure are enjoying their food….
My buddy, Carlene, is an awesome cook. She sent me her recipe for a hot toddy. If you’re a bit under the weather, this might just fix you right up. But why wait until you don’t feel good, this would be great anytime – this is one for your recipe files…
~ jan
Here’s what she said in her email this afternoon -
I want to remind you, in case you need it for colds/flu/ H1N1, etc., or just a generally bad (or GOOD) day in Winter, of my Hot Toddy. It is soooo restorative.....
Hot Buttered Rum
1-2 tsp. brown sugar
1 Tbs. good vanilla ice cream
1-2 jiggers of rum
1 tsp. butter
1 cinnamon stick
Mix brown sugar and ice cream in the glass mug, add the rum, fill with hot water...add the cinnamon stick and the pat of butter.
I swear, this works just as well as Mentholatum or Vicks Salve....it's a great inhaler, even if you don't care to drink it..
I was chatting with Hooterville on IM while ago, commenting on how idyllic it was at my house. Jazz was playing, the dogs each had a chewie, Molly was lying beside me on her pillow gnawing on hers, Maggie was stretched out in the living room chewing on hers. It was so peaceful, almost blissful, actually.
Well, that went to hell in a handbag. Maggie buried her chewie somewhere, probably in our bed, she does that often, always on LC’s side, too, and then she wanted Mollies chewie. Well, no way, Mollie was giving hers up, she just turned her butt toward Mags and kept on chewing. So Maggie started whining.
She cried and she cried, I ignored her, trying to return to my state of bliss, but oh no,that wasnt going to happen, then she started barking, loudly. I wasn’t going to punish Mollie because Mags was being a little bully. I tried sitting her in my lap, that didn’t work, she was still barking, I looked for her chewie, she really hid it well this time, I couldn’t find it, and I wasn’t going to give her another one.
There was no reasoning with her, Mollie, meanwhile was still chewing. I would have put her in the timeout corner if I could, I swear I would.
I finally gave her a piece of cheese, that seemed to soothe the little savage beast, for awhile anyway. Maybe hubby will have better luck with her than I did, she’s now sitting on his lap, pouting no doubt. And Mollie, she’s still chewing, she’s gonna get lockjaw if she keeps this up. Slow and steady, that’s our Mollie girl, not a lot phases her.
Meanwhile, the little wild child was being really naughty.
Yep, just like a couple of kids…
You haven’t seen a picture of my Maggie for awhile. Is this cute or what???
I’ve known about this for sometime, now. It’s the mother of all free e-book sources. You name it, they’ve got it, and you can download it all, for free. I don’t know how they do it, I’m just telling you about it, so don’t get your panties in a wad thinking this is illegal. It’s been around forever, and is really popular. There is a ton of stuff on here, for instance, go here and you can download 84 Nora Roberts novels. No, that’s not a typo, there are 84 of her novels on here. It may take you a bit to get the hang of downloading all these rapidshare files, but it works, trust me…. Tons of Stephen King, all of Agatha Christie, The Twilight Series, Nicholas Sparks, Linda Howard (35 novels), Harry Potter, Elizabeth Lowell (35 novels), John Grisham (16 novels) to name a few, they are all on here, and they’re all free.
Here’s the link to Freebookspot, all the different areas are in the right sidebar, lots and lots of tutorials, but head down to the fiction area, and start looking. You won’t believe what’s available. Don’t click on the Fiction ebook at the top of the page, that’s an ad, it’s in the right sidebar. Here’s the quick click.
I still love my Sony reader, with all of those Nora Roberts novels loaded on it, most of which I have read, by the way, but hey, a girl’s gotta dream.
You can read all about this new Irex reader, here.
If this interests you, you will need to download Adobe Digital to read these books on your computer. It’s a freebie download. Yeah, I know you want to the link to that, also. Here it is…
~ jan
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you all know that my techkie buddy, Hooterville, knows all the good stuff. Well, she’s done it again. I was complaining a few days ago about not having a good online tv grid to check upcoming television shows. I have been using Yahoo’s tv grid, and the one from TV Guide, and they’re both pretty lame.
So she tells me that I need to be using TitanTV. She told me how great it is, how you can create an account, save all your preferences, then log in from any computer to view your lineup. It’s really customizable, here’s a link to a quick overview. One feature I really like are the drop down menu’s. For instance, you can change and view choose the day and time you want to view a grid from a drop down, instead of having to right arrow and scroll, which takes forever. I also like how you can set up different folders with saved stations in them, so you can quickly view a lineup instead of having to go thru the whole enchilada. It will also send alerts to your mobile phone, reminding you of upcoming shows.
Here’s a screen shot of my default screen. Hop on over to TitanTV, register, and give it a try. It’s really amazing… Pinkie swear.
~ jan
I have such a hard time with television programs. Nothing appeals to me, and every fall I’m on a mission, trying to find something that is interesting.
I had read positive reviews about “The Good Wife” on CBS, watched it last night, and really liked it. OMG, I really liked it!!!!!
Juliana Margulies is excellent, and her law firm’s in-house investigator, played by Archie Panjabi, yep, Archie is a girl, is quirky, edgy, just perfect for the role.
So, it looks like I have a solid Tuesday night lineup for this fall. Dancing With The Stars and The Good Wife. How about that!!!!
In a misguided attempt to rid myself of the mother of all sinus headaches, I not only swallowed a Sudafed and two Excedrin, simultaneously, but also consumed multiple cups of coffee, three glasses of iced tea, a caffeinated Diet Coke and a Monster Energy Drink.
I can now say that I have not been this edgy since beginnning my last menstrual cycle which was more years ago than any of us care to remember.
Lord have mercy, whatever was I thinking? I’m about to jump out of my ever lovin’ skin….
Setting this up works best if you have two people, one typing the ingredients in your kitchen that you want to add, the other telling you what you have in your pantry and fridge. It’s much faster if you do it this way.
The first thing you need to do is create an account at SuperCook, so that they remember your choices, then you simply add the ingredients, and then when you want to make a dish, you just click on the ingredients you want to use and recipes are generated on the right side of the page, as shown in the screen shot of what I have in my kitchen. You then can save these to recipe boxes, it’s like a cookook.
From just my three ingredients, red beans, chili power and red peppers, this program generated 126 recipes! Pretty neat, huh???
You’ll love this, pinky swear, click here to give it a try…
~ jan
Oh, this was an easy answer. It was hands down, sloppy joes. The ones I had in elementary school sparked a love of this gooey sandwich that I still enjoy to this day. I have fond memories of sloppy joes, not only in school cafeterias, but at country auctions, and church socials, as well.
It’s a tradition in our household to fix sloppy joes and potato chips on halloween. We’ve done it since John and Ryan were little boys, and now they do it in their homes. I have a killer recipe, too, from my neighbor Susan, in Denver. It’s one that I’ve published before, and will again at halloween, this year.
Unfortunately, other than sloppy joes, my other memories of cafeteria lunches were not good. I remember things like cornbread and beans, with cornbread so dry you choked on it, and cheese sandwiches, with hugely thick slabs of cheese between white gummy bread, no doubt a government commodity, that just tasted horrid. We also had inferior peanut butter that they slathered on the bread, no jelly, no honey, just dry bread and lots of peanut butter. Blecht! One year there was a surplus of the stuff, the cooks put peanut butter in meat loaf to bind it, we had cookies and cake, you name it, they made it with peanut butter.
They would also serve us instant potatoes and a sausage patty. Oh, that was not good, either. The taste was vile. When high school came along, I quickly abandoned the mandatory school cafeteria for lunches at the local diner, Alice’s Cafe. I happily ate a hamburger, french fries and a coke, for a total of fifty-five cents, every single day for four years.
But oh, those sloppy joes, maybe I’ll make them this week…
She is such a cutey patootie. I saw her new movie, Love Happens, this weekend, and really liked it. She was adorable, her name was Eloise, and she had a flower shop and drove this cute old Falcon hippie van. It’s worth seeing the movie just to see the fleurs. There were lots and lots of huge cabbage roses, the prettiest I’ve ever seen.
Here’s the Ellen clip. Egads, she needs to do something about her hair, though, it was in her face constantly, and drove me crazy watching her constantly flipping it back…
I had just given birth to Ryan. And now he’s about to become a father. I feel like life is coming full circle…
It’s a good day, the anniversary day of your children’s births. My world is peaceful this morning…
I watched the final episode today, the acting was not good, the actors, aging and tired, it was time for it to go. It made me sad to watch it, though, there wasn’t a lot of dignity in it’s adieu.
Except for Josh. Oh my, that man has aged like a fine wine. Just looking at him was a treat. Oh my, goodness, will somebody bring Scarlett a fan, I do believe I’m a bit flushed…
Here’s a clip of the “Farewell.” I thought some of you might enjoy seeing the familiar faces.
Peter Paul and Mary, they were hugely popular in the sixties… She passed away today from leukemia at the age of seventy two.
There is nothing more ridiculous than an older person trying to look young or 'cool'. An old guy in a backwards aseball cap is funny. Why can't we just look like a nice version of ourselves. I have written a story called CHANGING, which I am waiting for MORE to publish. Basically, it is about aging. Please look at my picture. I am going to be 70 in November. So What? The old face matches my old body. They are a set. Does that mean I don't wear becoming clothes which are both age and figure appropriate? I am beginning to get annoyed with the emphasis on youth in a magazine that is supposed to be for women over 40. Perhaps they meant 41. Several of the women with whom I have exchange messages have been commenting on this for a while. In my story, I also mention that my brother-in-law was a cosmetic surgeon. I turned down his offer of a make-over. It's like a dead end street. You can't make me look totally young. Just bits and pieces that wouldn't match. You'd have to start with my toes and work up. I am what I am, and if I talk about the past, it is because I was there. If I talk about wisdom, it is because I have some. If I talk about my grandchildren, it is because I am an N'annie. Truthfully, I do the best with what I've got. My clothing is not LOFT it is TALBOTS. I follow the old rule: If you've worn a mini-skirt at an earlier age, you probably shouldn't wear one again. Old is Okay. If you take good care of yourself, you are going to get there too. Go gracefully, and don't worry about what people think. There is far more to a life well lived, than how you look. We place too much emphasis on appearance. So for those of you who have years to go to catch me, I will be on the golf course or on my computer. I sit by windows with lace curtains as I look out at the world. It is muted and soft. I like it that way! I have nothing MORE to prove, but oh, so many things to do.
I was watching Shep Smith on FOX News this afternoon and he said that one out of every twenty-two adults is now on Facebook, and the majority of them are over thirty-five. I believe it, Facebook is kind of like going to a reunion without having to lose any weight. 
~ jan
I just got the following email from my friend, Peg. I don’t know if this is true or one of those false rumors that goes around, but it is certainly something to think about…
Why breast cancer is usually found near the armpit?
Some time ago, I attended a Breast Cancer Awareness seminar and I asked why the most common area for Breast Cancer was near the armpit. My question could not be answered at that time. This e-mail was just sent to me, and I find it interesting that my question has been answered. I challenge you all to rethink your every day use of a product that could ultimately lead to a terminal illness. As of today, I will change my use. I showed it to another friend going through chemotherapy & she said she learned this fact in a support group
The leading cause of breast cancer is the use of anti-perspirant.
*What ???*
*Yes,* *ANTI-PERSPIRANT*
Most of the products out there are an anti-perspirant /deodorant combination, so go home and check . Deodorant is fine, anti-perspirant is not!
Here's why :- The human body has a few areas that it uses to purge toxins ; behind the knees, behind the ears, groin area, and armpits. The toxins are purged in the form of perspiration.
Anti-perspirant, as the name clearly indicates, prevents you from perspiring, thereby inhibiting the body from purging toxins from below the armpits.
These toxins do not just magically disappear. Instead, the body deposits them in the lymph nodes below the arms since it cannot sweat them out..
Nearly all breast cancer tumors occur in the upper outside quadrant of the breast area.
This is precisely where the lymph nodes are located.. Additionally, men are less likely (but not completely exempt) to develop breast cancer prompted by anti- perspirant usage because most of the anti-perspirant product is caught in their hair and is not directly applied
to the skin.
Women who apply anti-perspirant right after shaving increase the risk further because shaving causes almost imperceptible nicks in the skin which give the chemicals entrance into the body from the armpit area.
PLEASE pass this along to anyone you care about.
Breast cancer is becoming frighteningly common.
This awareness may save lives.
My friends all complain about beans. Apparently, nobody can eat beans without consequences, except for yours truly. I’m always telling people that I eat fiber daily, beans almost every single day, so I have no problems. Never, none, nada… Oh yeah, I’m really smug about it too, they are all complaining about the gas, and I’m telling them I’m used to it, no problem.
Well, apparently I don’t know what I’m talking about. I made 15 bean soup, yes, fifteen beans in that damned soup. And ladies, it hasn’t set well with the old fiber queen. So I owe all of you an apology for not understanding your pain….
I’m miserable, I’m bloated, I’m uncomfortable, this takes me back to the time a few years ago that I was starving on some stupid diet, and I ate a lot of sweet potatoes, cabbage and beans all in the same meal. I thought I was going to die! I called Ryan, who, after picking himself up off the floor, howling with laughter, told me to go the the drugstore for Gas-X. So I hotfooted it right down to CVS, omg, the consequences of the Gas-X were even worse than the misery I was feeling from eating all that fiber.
I know not to try that trick again, so I’ll just tough it out. I’m thinking I need to just stick with one bean at a time from now on, ya think???
Jessica Simpson’s Maltipoo, Daisy, was snatched by a coyote last night, and she saw it happen.
I just can’t imagine, it makes me nauseous just thinking about it. It’s hawk season now in Heavensville, for the past few days there have been three of them circling overhead. I dread even taking the girls out to potty. Even when you’re watching things can happen, as it did with her poor Daisy.
And speaking of dogs, Molly started wheezing last night, this morning it was worse, it was almost like she was gurgling when she breathed, and of course, I was in a panic. Even hubby was worried, something wasn’t right. So off to the vet she went, I had to leave her so they could work her in, Laura called me about noon, her throat is swollen, her lungs are clear, her heart is good, there is no obstruction, she thinks possibly she swallowed something. LC said he saw a wasp earlier, the only thing I can think of is that she ate it, but that’s not like her, Mags is the one that pokes her little nose into everything, not Molly.
She’s home now, napping on a pillow on my computer desk. Dr. Laura gave her a steroid shot, and sent home antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds. If she isn’t better by Thursday we have to do x-rays.
She ate lunch, isn’t getting worse, so let’s hope the little imp did swallow something and that she will be better soon. Maybe that’s why this story hit me so hard today, because my own little fur kid isn’t feeling the best…
Sometimes it’s really hard being a Yorkie mom…
I seldom watch The View, because, quite frankly, those women just annoy the hell out of me, but I did tune in today, and of course they were all over the Taylor Swift/Kanye West fiasco.
Sherry was trying to be politically correct, heaven help it if she ever said anything negative about a black man. Puh-leez, this man’s actions were inexcusable, and it just frosts my cake the way she pulled the reverse race card. She is always front row center when a person of color is being discussed, instantly on the defensive, which of course, makes it that much more obvious.
There was no excuse for the way that idiot acted, I don’t care if the man was green. He acted like a total jackass. End of story. Shame on you Sherry, for not having a stronger negative reaction to this totally disgusting, inappropriate behavior.
Here’s what Kelly Clarkson had to say about it on her blog. Congrats to her for telling it the way it is!
Dear Kayne,
What happened to you as a child?? Did you not get hugged enough?? Something must have happened to make you this way and I think we're all just curious as to what would make a grown man go on national television and make a talented artist, let alone teenager, feel like sh*t.
I mean, I've seen you do some pretty shitty things, but you just keep amazing me with your tactless, asshole ways. It's absolutely fascinating how much I don't like you. I like everyone. I even like my asshole ex that cheated on me over you which is pretty odd since I don't even personally know you. The best part of this evening is that you weren't even up for THIS award and yet you still have a problem with the outcome. Is winning a moon man that much of a life goal?? You can have mine if it will shut you up. Is it that important, really??
I was actually nominated in the same category that Taylor won and I was excited for her ... so why can't you be?? I'm not even mad at you for being an asshole ... I just pity you because you're a sad human being.
On a side note, Beyonce has always been a class act and proved again tonight that she still is. Go TEXAS!!
Taylor Swift, you outsell him ...that's why he's bitter. You know I love your work! Keep it up girl!
KC
This morning my buddy, Carlene, sent me, quite possibly, the most amazing healthy food site I’ve seen yet. It’s called, Eating Well, Living Thin, and the food looks simply to die for!
If you can’t find something here that interests you, you’re totally hopeless. There are so many good things, I don’t know what to make first…
Check it out here, girlfriends, this one’s a keeper!
~ jan
And just think, in another month, I’m going to have one of these!!!
oh my, they used sixteen sticks of butter!!!!
When friends saw Julia Child’s exuberance, they decided it was time to have their own fun in the kitchen.
We’ve been in Lexington this week with Ryan and Lindsay. She’s due in just a little over four weeks now. FOUR WEEKS!!!!
Family is doing well, Lindsay looks adorable, there was a lot of dreaming and planning going on at their house, and lots of tummy feeling. Sweet little granddaughter migrates to underneath your hand when you rest it on Lindsay’s belly. I don’t remember mine doing that, but it was a wonderful feeling.
Now it’s back to real life, laundry, filling bird feeders, and blogging…
I’ve had a really good couple of blogs swirling around in my head, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what they were. No surprise, huh…
Hooterville posted a list of the 25 Best Blogs on her site, The Little Blog, and since she always knows about the good stuff online, I started checking them out.
I came across this site, it’s called Zen Habits, Simple Productivity. It’s a blog that offers simple ways to be more productive, The blog features one article a day on topics such as personal productivity, organization, living frugally, eliminating debt, and cultivating good habits. With Zen Habits, practice makes perfect, and the blog excels at offering specific strategies to improve and simplify your life (16 Ways to Get Motivated When You're In a Slump, 20 Ways to Eliminate Stress from Your Life, 30 Simple Family Pleasures.) This is the rare blog that can actually improve your everyday life.
It’s awesome! Simple little tricks, that even moi here can do. No big life changing effort, just the simple things, which I preach about all the time on this site.
The entries are really enlightening, I’m instantly seeing that I obsess way too much about what I put in my mouth, yeah, I know, you all realize that, no surprise here. But it really is a great site. Bookmark this one, girlfriends, it’s a winner, take some time, go thru their archives, I’m sure you will find things that will help you, too. Pinkie swear ;~)
~ jan
I’ve talked about my love for ebooks before. I have a Sony Book Reader, and I access library books online, download, and transfer from my computer to my reader on an almost daily basis.
But what if you don’t have a bookreader? You can still do it, all you have to do is download software to read them on your computer – Mobibooks or Adobe Digital are both great programs, and they’re free.
So maybe you’re interested, but still a little skeptical. I’ve got something for you to try. Harlequin Romance Novels, yeah, those cheesy novels we all like to read, is having their 60th Anniversary, and they’ve made sixteen of their books free to download.
So here’s the Harlequin link, give it a try this weekend, you might acually like it, Mikey!!!!
If you have problems, just email me, I’ll help you out. I think ebooks are awesome, who knows, maybe you will, too. And don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul that you secretly read Harlequin Romance Novels, pinky swear, I won’t.
~ jan
I’m a huge fan of rectangular storage containers, I started with Gladware, then I switched to Rubbermaid, but now I’ve found the best of all.
I’m a glass girl, maybe it’s my age, I grew up in the Pyrex generation after all.
There is just something about glass storage containers. They’re substantial, they don’t stain or get a film on them like plastic containers, they just seem…. cleaner, yeah, that’s the word, they are cleaner.
Earlier this summer I saw these GlassLock Containers, Kinetic Go Green, at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. I liked the look of them, loved the green silicone lids, bought them in three different sizes,and I think they are just awesome, so much so that I went back and bought duplicates. The lids snap down, so you get a great waterproof seal, and best of all, the lids are easy to snap on and off.
Four stars on this one, girlfriends, and if you can find them at your local Marshalls or T.J. Maxx, the price is half of what you pay on Amazon.
I was tooling down the expressway the other day and I had this flashback of a poorboy sweater.
For those of you who weren’t around in the mid 60’s, Poor Boys were the “in” thing to wear. This picture depicts it really well, right down to the haircut. I had the same do, along with a sweater very similar to this. I think the whole poor boy fad was fueled by Twiggy, but of course, none of us corn-fed midwestern girls ever looked like she did in our sweaters.
What made me think of them anyway? I hadn’t thought of those sweaters in, well, forever. I had several of them, and my favorite was heather. That was a big color in the 60’s, too, “heather,” it was kind of a soft muted purple. Oh, what a kick, remembering my poor boys. Drats, I wish I had a picture!!!
![[003979e.jpg]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIf18DwWvjvufxPi1ZsYbTuSMGLekyIdluf3pr2_nhXoE9-mQg7F96UvwAnvUiUjKPBer5XiFrMVIdNkfwIoNLco8TQZbkiEsQFWKrNbd45KvA2MQBt1mJCN0LEXUqqhYR2KbYXsNv0O0/s1600/003979e.jpg)
This was what I ate as a child, every afternoon, a yellow bag of Fritos, just like these.
I would race from school to the drugstore where Mother worked, for a bag of Fritos with a fountain cherry coke.
And how much did this bag cost? A nickel, five cents. Yep, that’s right, five cents. Pretty amazing, huh…
I’m still a fan, too. I seldom eat Fritos as they are loaded with oil, but oh, do I love them. And thankfully, Frito-Lay hasn’t messed with the recipe, they taste just like I remembered them as a little girl…
Carlene sent me this video, I’m sitting here just absolutely cracking up, clutching my sides, laughing, oh this is hysterical….
I was reading a blog today, they were talking about what they don’t do anymore, it inspired me, so here’s my list…
Things I still do, but want to change...
And that’s the way it is, Saturday, August 29, 2007….
I really enjoyed Sandra Bullock in The Proposal, her new movie, All About Steve, comes out September 4th. Looks a little cheesy, but I’ll check it out anyway…
Anything to do with a little girl is naturally going to get my attention.
I was reading Amy’s blog this morning, she featured this felt playhouse, for sale at Etsy. Is this the cutest thing, ever?
Oh my goodness….
This is Lindsay’s last birthday before baby…
Next year she will have an almost one year old to share her cake with…
Happy Birthday, sweet daughter-in-law, enjoy your day!!!
~XOXOXO~
It was another picture perfect day in Heavensville and hubby and I had an impromptu picnic in the park. This is the view from where I sat, captured with my Blackberry… It was shady and warm, a soft breeze was blowing, there were ducks nearby, and I was enjoying the moment, when a kerthunk startled me. I looked down at the ground and a squirrel on a limb overhead had shook a branch and a black walnut fell by my foot.
I had a total flashback to being a little girl again, a time when we regularly ate from the land as a means of survival. Mother and I would gather black walnuts, pecans, walnuts and hickory nuts in the early fall. She would sit in the living room in the evenings, listening to the Crosley Radio, and using a nut cracker, with her head bent, she would shell the nuts and dig the goodies out with a pick. A quart Ball fruit jar would be sitting nearby, and she would plunk the nutmeats into the jar to save for winter baking.
The black walnuts were the messiest, the hulls would stain your skin, and if you’ve never eaten them, it’s definitely a love/hate kind of food.
I happen to be a fan, Mother’s black walnut divinity was just the most wonderful thing… It’s a strong flavor, really distinct, some people don’t care for, but I’ve always loved the taste.
Of all the nuts we gathered, by far, the hardest to shell, the smallest nut of all, and naturally the one that yielded the best flavor was the hickory nut. 
She would always save the hickory nuts until Thanksgiving and Christmas. She made the most wonderful hickory nut cake, and hickory nut fudge, neither of which recipe I have, unfortunately. I did find this recipe for hickory nut cake online, it’s a butter cake, that seems to be similar to hers, with it’s brown sugar frosting and hickory nut garnish.
Pecans were the easiest to gather and pluck from the shell. We would go in the country to an area where there were pecan trees. The farmer that owned the land would bump the trees with a tractor, so that the nuts would fall to the ground, and then would usher you thru a gate to pick the pecans off the ground. On the way out, your filled containers would be weighed and you were charged for the nuts. Of course I don’t remember how much it cost, but I’m sure it wasn’t very much money. It was always something we looked forward to every year, gathering pecans, and we would usually have a car full of women and kids off to the woods on a cool fall day.
What fond memories that squirrel triggered for me today. I hadn’t thought of this for years. Now if I could just get my hands on some hickory nuts to make that cake for Thanksgiving…
Hooterville sent me this picture a few days ago. It’s from our fall picnic last year. We’re all eager for a repeat, soon.
There is just something about sweatshirt weather, the smell of a crackling fire, burnt weiners and marshmallows that makes me long for fall.
I’m a huge fan of burnt marshmallows, I can forgo the chocolate and graham crackers after just a few bites, but I can eat those toasted marshmallows all afternoon. I never have the patience to toast them golden brown, instead I catch them on fire, blow out the blaze, and suck down those carcinogens like they’re good for me…
It’s more like late September than late August this week in Heavensville. It really gets me in the mood…
But it won’t be long , we’ll load up the Smokey Joe, grab the dawgs and burger, and head out for a day in the woods…
I’m ready now! Why do we have to wait for fall…
Yeah, I’ll buy her new album. I was a fan in the day, and it’s good to hear her voice strong and clear again.
Watching her again, reminded me of the best work she ever did, in my opinion. Talk about goosebumps…
Of course, Dolly wrote this song, and she's the best, ever - she’s an American original…
Once you get started with Dolly, you can’t stop watching her. Here’s a great video with Dolly, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn, Silver Threads and Golden Needles. The imbedding has been disabled, but here’s the click to watch it…
And finally, a wonderful interview with her on 60 Minutes.
Okay, ladies, I always tell you about the good stuff, and boy do I have a find for you.
I have boobs, big boobs, I absolutely detest them, too. Nothing is more matronly than big ta-tas… Nothing!!!
They are, however, shrinking with my ongoing healthy eating, nevertheless, for years now, it has been totally impossible to find a bra that I really like, until now. I was in Kohls last week, not crazy about the store, but they do have good lingerie, and I was trying on the usual Lilyette, Bali, Olga brands, the samo-samo that don’t really minimize, are uncomfortable, often ride up in the back, and after a wash or so they don’t support you anymore and your boobs start to sag, heading south toward Florida, then all the way to Cuba.
I had never tried a sports bra before, because the ones I looked at had no underwire, and I just didn’t think they would work for me.
Boy, was I wrong. I was just about to walk out of the store when I spotted this Lily of France underwire sports bra. It was the color that got my attention, it was grey. It was cotton, comfy looking, and didn’t look that much like a sports bra, even though it did have a wider band at the bottom. So I scooped it up, and back to the dressing room I went. I tried it on, and O-M-G, it was instantly like a breast reduction. The girls settled in the cups, they kind of flattened out, it felt wonderful, it was really comfortable. Then I put on my shirt, I swear, I could have just done the happy dance. My boobs looked really great. SERIOUSLY good, well as good as they can look for a fifty-nine year old woman… That bra just smooshed me out, uplifted me, and made my bust look a lot smaller, even LC is impressed with the way it makes me look in my shirts. He’s commented several times how much better I look, how’s that for a testimonial? Usually husbands don’t notice these things.
So I bought it, not only in grey, but also in white and black, and yesterday I went back and bought another grey one.
After wearing them for a week, here’s the scoop. They wash great, they support you wonderfully, you don’t bounce around, they don’t ride up in the back, the wide band at the bottom is super, the cotton breathes, and the best part, even after you’ve had it on for awhile, you still don’t sag….
If you are all as smart as I think you are, you will run not walk to the store and buy one or two or three or four of these. True, they aren’t satiny or lacy, but at our age, who cares! The cotton is soft and comfy, they contour to your body, and they look sporty, not like those armored old lady things from Sears. I live in jeans and casual clothes anyway, so for me, this is perfect. The straps do not adjust, some women may not like that, but i think it fits great without adjusting, and I’m always messing with bra straps, pulling the damn things up, trying to lift the girls. You don’t need to with this bra, it’s the best thing I’ve found in years, maybe ever, pinky swear.
You can order these from Amazon, too. No surprise there, you can order anything from Amazon. Here’s the click for you.
You will thank me for this one, trust me.
~ jan
Mollie was fast asleep on her back this morning, it was so funny, just had to share. Yeah, I know her bed is getting tattered, but she loves it and I can’t find another bean bag one like it… Maybe this fall the stores will have one…
Silly little dog, she always has that tongue out, it never fails to make me smile…
It’s almost in the air, not quite, but trees are shedding some leaves now, the days are shorter, and the evenings cooler. I’m always ready for the changing seasons, this year more so because I know that when the colors change that precious grandbaby will be born.
I was out early this morning, the wind was blowing, leaves were crunching underfoot, and I was listening to the crows. Oh, it was so peaceful, just watching the horses in the pasture from my front yard, and living in the moment.
I’m really good at that, just living in the present, I hope the rest of you are able to do it also. That’s all we have, you know, just this moment in time. I’m doing my best to appreciate what I have, good health, great family and friends and of course my sweet little M&M’s.
It’s a good time in my life, I’m savoring every moment of it…
I wish all of you could have been there. The shower was at the family church, in the little town of Eva, Alabama. Lindsay has an amazing family, the aunts, Mary, Regenia, Nora and Judy are the funniest, most charming women, ever. I swear girlfriends, it was a chapter right out of the YaYa’s, listening to all of these southern women telling stories. Cousin Gena was there, Lindsay’s best friend, Heather handed out the gifts. We sat with Nadine, who was so much fun, oh and as you can imagine, Grandma Campbell was in her glory, with her family gathered ‘round. Lindsay’s mother flew in from Seattle, she is such a lovely woman, Deanna, Lindsay and I drove down from Nashville. There was great food, amazing gifts, and a room filled with love. What more could a mother-in-law want. This is going to be such an wonderful little girl that’s coming into our life. It’s absolutely overwhelming…
There are a lot more pictures of the shower in an album on my FaceBook page. If you aren’t one of my FaceBook “friends,” send me an email, and I’ll add you, so that you can view the pictures…
You can view a larger size of this photo collage by clicking on it…
~ jan
I’m Alabama bound, Lindsay’s shower is tomorrow. Just wanted to check in, tell you all that I never have to worry about any kind of a timer going off and not hearing it, the M&M’s let me know.
I baked this afternoon, every time the buzzer went off, they found me, just barking their little heads off. They do it when the dryer buzzes, too. That’s such a relief, knowing they alert me to all things I need to know. Oh, they’re such smart little dogs. Yeah, right, they’re little yappers is what they are, but oh, so cute!
I’ll be back with lot of baby news. I’ll take pix of my gift, too. Oh, I did it up right, first grandchild ya know.
Later ‘gators…
The movie started out great, I loved the old blue Mercury woodie, the streets of Paris were amazing, the bakeries, the fresh markets, and Meryl Streep really nailed Julia Child to a tee, and then…
I rarely go to the mall, but I was there today, oh my, ugly, ugly clothes, weird kiosks; an eyebrow arching booth, teeth whitening booths, filled with women under ultra violet lights, it was really enlightening. Oh, and press on toenails, that one was pretty funny, what will they think of next?
I must be getting old, most of this seemed just a little on the silly side… Oh, did I see some gawdawful clothes, girlfriends. I don’t know how retailers sell the stuff it was so bad…
Coldwater Creek was packed with 40-50-60 year old women, all desperate for something to wear. I just don’t get why more stores don’t cater to the boomers, it was pretty slim pickings….
Is this just not the cutest pregnant woman, ever???
I’m so lucky to have such a sweet daughter-in-law! And just think, that’s my little grandbebe in her tummy!!!
~ Jan here, doing the happy dance, happy dance…
My son and very pregnant daughter-in-law came home today for a visit. We met them at Chick-Fil-A for lunch, and I walk into the restaurant, take one look at Lindsays tummy and started crying. Oh yeah, for real I did, real crocodile tears, too. Poor Linds, she probably thought that I had lost it, and Ry told me it was Lindsay who was hormonal, not me. But the reality that she is really, really pregnant with my grandchild hit me full force. And it happened right in the middle of Chick-Fil-A.
Poor Linds, I know I will be a basket case when this bebe is born, not only will she have to deal with Ryan, but his crazy mama as well…
She’s a trooper, though, and looks adorable with her glowing skin and little basketball tummy. Life is so good this afternoon, we are all so blessed. I hope your family is, as well…
~ jan
Actually, I tried this for under eye puffiness. It didn’t work, but then I have to confess, I was too cheap to cough up the big bucks for Preparation H, and used a store brand. It sounds like it could work, though…
Don’t mention the worth “bath” in front of the fur kids. They both ran for the hills when they realized they were getting one this afternoon.
How do they always know? I got out the shampoo and the towels, Mollie ran under the dining room table, Mags headed for the bedroom lickedy split. Once I get them in the sink, they enjoy it. Well, at least they used to, before I started expressing their anal glands on a regular basis.
Egads, it’s a nasty job, but somebody’s gotta do it. They probably don’t enjoy me squeezing their butts, so they are hiding from me. Well, it’s no walk in the park for me either, let me tell you, but at least Mollie isn’t scooting on her rear anymore.
But I do have it perfected, the secret is to get them wet and lathered with shampoo, squeeze and rinse, really fast, and don’t breathe while you’re doing it.
I know, more info than you ever wanted to know. Oh, the joys of a Yorkie mom on a Friday afternoon…
Okay, what do I like today.
here i sit, just waiting for the front to move thru. it’s such a bummer, this getting old and turning into a human barometer. i remember laughing at people when their bones/sinuses alerted them of the weather. well, hello, i’ve joined the ranks…
i’m weary of obama, and his birthday, if i hear the term “cash for clunkers” one more time i’m gonna blow, but i am thinking that slick willy looked pretty fine as he stepped off that plane in north korea. yeah, you all know i like the man despite his transgressions.
i just checked the radar, the rain is on the way, maybe i have time for one more spin on milly, then i think i’ll curl up with a book and a cup of hot tea and just wait out this storm….
I swear, this precious little thing is so sweet, I could eat her with a spoon…..
The actor, and father-of-four, told Vanity Fair that he is so disconnected from his own children that he flirted with daughter, Tatum, at Farrah Fawcett's funeral, without realizing she was his first born according to transcripts of the interview published Monday in the New York Post.
"I had just put the casket in the hearse and was watching it drive away, when a beautiful blond woman comes up and embraces me," O'Neal, 68, said. “I said to her, 'You have a drink on you? You have a car?' She said, 'Daddy, it's me -- Tatum!'"
"That's our relationship in a nutshell," Tatum told the magazine when asked about the bizarre exchange. "You make of it what you will.”
Said Ryan: "I was just trying to be funny with a strange Swedish woman, and it's my daughter -- it's so sick."
Asked if he's sorry he had children, O'Neal nodded and said, "A couple of them I would take back.
"I don't think I was supposed to be a father," said the actor, who had Tatum, 45, and Griffin, 44, with first wife Joanna Moore; son Patrick, 42, with actress Leigh Taylor-Young; and son Redmond, 24, with Fawcett.
"Just look around at my work -- they're either in jail or they should be," O'Neal said.
He said Redmond, who is in jail for violating probation on drug charges, is the only child he still sees.
Read the rest of the article here; what awful things he says about his children. The man should be hung by his shriveled balls and beaten with a chain! Shame, shame, shame on him… What a worthless piece of vermin he is, why couldn’t it have been him in that casket instead of poor Farrah! Yeah, I’m upset, can you tell?
You can read the entire interview with Ryan O’Neal in the September issue of Vanity Fair, which hits newsstands this week.
Source: Radar Online
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