This is the hardest entry I've ever posted...

Munchie died today. There are no words...

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Here we go again....

Yet another middle-aged politician gets caught with his tallywhacker in the nookie jar. Today it was the Governor of New York, and once again, like all the others before him, and there have been MANY lately, his long-suffering wife is by his side while he wriggles and squirms at a press conference, apologizing to everybody from his family, to his dog, to the homeless guy at the corner of 5th and Vine.

Why do these women stand by their man like this? WHY, WHY, WHY??? It just makes me want to GAG!!! These woman have to be furious, but why do they feel the need to help redeem their sleazeball husbands in public, when they should be kicking their sorry asses six ways to to Sunday.

Oh,this really frosts my cake, can you tell??? Hey, wifey wasn't around while the guy was playing hanky-panky, so wifey should stay home when he tries to make amends, which he can't do, because he has lost all credibility. He should have to stand on his own and face people, instead of running home to mama and hauling her out in public to hold his hand while he airs his dirty laundry.

I can understand these weak men trotting out their sad, depressed wives to try and get sympathy, but what I CAN'T understand is why any woman would stand up in public with these weasels. If it were me, no way would I do that and he would be making his plea for sympathy with cat scratches all over his face, black eyes and missing teeth!!!

MEN SCHMEN!!!

Mrs. Hughes is just priceless!!!

Mrs. Hughes is a total HOOT! I laughed so hard at this silly comedian, oh get your Puffs Plus ready, ladies, you will laugh til' you cry.

~ jan

Still laughing...

Cuz sent me this tonight - omg, this is SO me....

If I can't be a good example -- then I'll just have to be a horrible warning.

Random thoughts about... what else... food!

I made hubby corned beef yesterday - coughed up the extra $$ and bought a round instead of a brisket - I'll never buy brisket again, the round was totally lean, and since I cooked it in the slow cooker, it was very moist - HOW? Rinse the corned beef, put in the spice packet, fill the crock halfway with water, add a large sliced onion and a few cloves of crushed garlic, cook 10 hours on low - 3 hours before the 10 are up, duh, Jan, that would be after 7 hours, add cabbage wedges, baby carrots and halved red potatoes - amazing meal, no trouble, leftovers... don't forget the horseradish and pumpernickel bread.

If you are a regular reader, you know that I am a bean lover, ADORE them, I've been on a chickpea (garbanzo bean) kick lately, eat them out of the can, cook dry garbanzos in chicken broth and onions, put them in salads right out of the can, or drain them, saute them in a little bit of olive oil until crunchy, and use instead of croutons.

Making my own dressing lately, dijon mustard, rice vinegar, bit of honey, salt pepper and EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) - whisk, simple, easy - don't measure, just do it...

Been missing cooking lately, tonight I was going to warm the corned beef, make hubby twice-baked potatoes - wrong - those redskins were too thin - I waved them, tried scooping, no can do, they were falling apart - just threw them in a bowl, mashed them with potato masher, peelings and all - added the sauteed red peppers, mushrooms and onion that I had cooked down in a bit of butter, put in a big dollop of low fat sour cream, some fat free half and half, cheddar cheese - baked them in a casserole - same taste, no bother - love potato skins.

Back to the beans, told you it was random - I'm a huge fan of refried beans, never knew how to make them, never really thought much about it, always get them at the Mexican Truck Stop (El Charro, local restaurant) - they have the best in the world. Finally took the time to read about them - just cook dried pintos in water until they are tender - drain them, then in a large skillet, put a couple of tablespoons of bacon grease (or olive oil if you are being healthy, true refried beans are cooked in lard) - I'm going to do the bacon grease, 2 tablespoons isn't much for a whole lb. of beans, anyhoo, melt the bacon grease, add the beans and a bit of water, mash with a potato masher, and "fry." Hence "refried beans." How about that??? Keep adding water if they get too thick, thats it, simple, I'm going to try it.

Watched bobble head today on FoodTv (Everyday Italian, Giada whatever her name is, skinny little be-otch irritates the crap outta me, I don't trust skinny cooks, notice I said "cook", no way some of these people on FoodTv are chefs, IMO). Anyhoo, she made cupcakes from a cake mix, and then she made a mixture of marscapone cheese, strawberries, sugar and lemon, whirred in in a food processor, and using a pastry bag and tip, pushed the tip into the cooled cupcake and squirted it full of filling. Sounds to die for.

Made hubby a cherry pie, not really, Pillsbury Already Piecrust that needed to be used, a couple of cans of cherry pie filling, milk and sugar on the top crust, bake it and he has.... PIE! No butter though, poor hubby, he doesn't need it dotted with butter even though it would taste better. I like almond flavoring in it, couldn't find it, probably in the back of the spice cabinet where I can't reach. Oh well... He doesn't even like cherry pie, I do.... *blushing* He'll eat it though, he likes anything that's hot and sweet. That's why he's been batshit crazy about me all these years. Oh, laughing so hard my sides are splitting. Fever is getting to my brain...

Never know how much I love you, you never know how much I care
When you put your arms around me, I get a feeling that I just can't bear
You give me fever, when you kiss me, fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning, fever all through the night.

Thanks to the internet, my world this week is a whole lot smaller...

I was sitting at the computer, my GoogleTalk dings, it's John, in Cape Town, typechatting me, telling me that he and Tonia are fine, having a great time and that they had been to Table Mountain today and then to the beach to watch the sunset. So of course I Googled Table Mountain, here's the LINK. It's just amazing, to be able to visit this website, see the aerial photography, and actually visualize what they saw today. Just amazing...

It's a wonderful thing to be in touch with your kids when they are on the other side of the world, and to chat in real time and to do it FREE. It's absolutely mindblowing when you think about it... It's a REALLY good thing...

These sound amazing...

I don't actually make this stuff, but I sure would like to. This recipe for Auntie Em's Coconut Cupcakes looks positively mouthwatering. Mother always made white cupcakes at Easter time, then fashioned a birdnest on top of coconut tinted with green food coloring, and jelly beans nestled inside.

These look like they would be great for spring... I'm all grown up now, I can do without the green tint and the jelly beans...

I found this recipe in the food section of the L.A. Food Times, and posted it for you over on Jan CAN Cook.

Here's the CLICK

This is simply wonderful...

The dancers are Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powelll, the year is 1940, and this was filmed in ONE unedited camera shot. It is considered by many as one of the best dance scenes ever filmed...

Oh my....

Hooterville sent me an interesting list of facts this morning one of which was that the size of a man's penis is roughly three times the length of his thumb... Hmmmmm, bet you won't be looking at guy's hands in the same way anymore.

Things I really, really like...

Torch songs, lots of bass
Red Winged Blackbirds
Starbucks Komodo Dragon Coffee, freshly ground with a generous splash of fat free half and half
Amazing smells - fresh sheets dried on a clothesline, a clean baby, great soap, a freshly cut lemon, the aroma of a sizzling chicken frying in an iron skillet, new mown hay
Toasted bagels, dense chewy ones, slathered with Philly cream cheese
A sleeping dog in my lap
Water.... my ditch, the Heavensville Riverfront, even a pond works for me, the ocean, not so much, too powerful, too vast....
Stimulating conversation
Blooming fleurs, daffodils later this month, hopefully
Butterflies, and frogs, and ladybugs, and honey bees, total nature lover, here...
A brisk walk on a beautiful spring morning
Unexpected phone calls from my sons and my dillys
Date night with hubby, dinner and a movie - just the BEST!
Cuddling baby animals of any kind
And of course my very fave, puppy breath

Rumor has it....

That Cher's Malibu Mansion is quietly on the market and can be bought for only $40,000,000.00. If you want to see it up close and personal, the house was featured in Architectural Digest back in 2002.

Here's the CLICK

The kids are in South Africa now...

John and Tonia arrived in Johannesburg this morning, and I was in the kitchen a few minutes ago toasting a bagel, and I hear my GoogleTalk dinging over and over again. HOLY CRAP, I realize that it's John, and I quick turn my bagel off and come into the sunroom and start typechatting with him.

Well, I didn't turn my toaster off, I turned it ON and I'm just chatting away with him and all of a sudden the smoke alarm goes off. It's shrieking in my ear, the M&M's are going nuts, and I look in the kitchen, it's totally smoky. So I tell him I have to check it out, Maggie is just clutching at me, I open the garage door to try and let some of the smoke out of the kitchen, come back in the sunroom, continue to typechat with that thing making a horrid noise, and Munchie whining at my feet, and Maggie hiding in my robe. FINALLY it quit.

Jeez, this could only happen to me!!! I'm still on GoogleTalk with him, this is hot off the press...

And finally...

This has to be, hands down, the BEST girl scene in a movie, EVER.... In case you don't remember the lead in to this scene, Julia Roberts feeling were hurt after being snubbed by snooty salesclerks, and Edwards takes over. Every Pretty Woman's Hero, who wouldn't love this man!!!! Here's the clip...

Okay ladies, we hit the mother lode tonight...

I've got some great soundtracks for you - Anne Murray Duets: Friends and Legends - Her pure, gentle voice is such a sweet walk down memory lane... You can find her entire album on Amazon. Here's the CLICK

Here's a sample of some of the songs:

Anne Murray and Dusty Springfield - Just Fall in Love Again

Anne Murray and Shania Twain - You Needed Me -

Anne Murray and Celine Dion, When I Fall in Love -

Anne Murray and Olivia Newton John, Cotton Jenny



Anne Murray and Martina McBride, Danny's Song

Amazing Talent...

Listen to this and see if you can make it thru the swell without getting goosebumps.... K.D Lang does an AWESOME job with Roy Orbison's Crying - what a powerhouse this woman is!!!

The creek...

I took the picture of the creek yesterday outside their bedroom window. It flows down out of the hills, and it's wonderful. The land is protected, so nobody will ever build there and spoil the view.

I took very few pictures, and the ones I took turned out really badly. I don't know what I did to my camera, because Hooterville had me all set up and I was taking great pictures, and somehow I've managed to screw up my settings. I don't take pictures on Auto, like most normal humans, oh no, Jean would burn me at the stake if I did that, I have to PROGRAM the friggin camera, and I swear I forgot everything she told me. Seriously, though, nobody knows cameras like Jean, and so I always listen to her. I'm thrilled with my little Canon Powershot A720 that she told me to buy, it's so easy to use, and so easy to handle, and she may fuss at me for being so dingy, but she'll get me straightened out as soon as I feel like playing with it. She's just the BEST!

We'll be visiting again soon, and I promise to do better next visit. I do have a few pictures that I'll share with you later. We got home this afternoon, stayed this morning to see Tonia, who brought Oreo from Nashville to stay with Ryan and Lindsay while she and John are in Africa. I'm STILL sick, better though, I'll just rest up for a few days, and hopefully will be on the road to recovery by the weekend.

I did manage to shop just for a tiny bit and bought a great spring chick for all of you to see. I'll snap a picture of "Little" and publish it later...

I'm tired, the dogs are tired, LC is pooped, but oh it's so much fun to be able to do things for the kids. They were so thrilled that hubby got them so whipped into shape so fast. Nobody can organize like LC. He had both of them just hopping, but now we are gone and they can relax knowing that at least the main areas of their house is livable.

More later 'gators...

Out of the mouths of babes....

Linds had her first visitor late yesterday afternoon. The doorbell rang, she went to the door and there stood her next door neighbor, eight year old Kylie and her dog Muffin. Lindsay had seen Kylie's mom earlier in the driveway, she told her that she was a chatty little girl and would probably be visiting.

They were talking, the little girl giving her a rundown of life in the neighborhood, and she said "one of the other neighbors wanted me to find out how old you are?" Lindsay, laughing, said that she was twenty-seven and her husband was thirty-two. Then the little girl said that the neighbor also wanted to know if they had any kids, and Lindsay told her no they didn't, but if circumstances changed she would let her know. It was so cute, she was so innocent, now Dilly can't WAIT to meet that neighbor. *giggle*

We had another busy day, we'll be heading home tomorrow. It's been so much fun, and even if I'm sick,I would rather be sick here than at home. I am better though, not a lot but give me a few days and I'll be back to normal.... Whatever that is...

Still sick.....

Poor pitiful me... We are in Versailles today, despite the fact that poor hubby practically had to pack and dress me to get me going this morning. Seriously, I think I had way too much of that blasted cough syrup - I coughed all night, sleeping propped up on two pillows with a neck pillow to try and stop the coughing. How much fun was that. I kept coughing and swigging all night, so by this morning I was a zombie. We stopped for breakfast and then I slept the whole trip, no doubt drooling and snoring in an attempt to breathe...

Oh the joys of middle age...

The house is wonderful, the boxes are many, everybody worked all day trying to bring some order to the kitchen while the M&M's and I snoozed on the sofa. It is a very nice place to be sick, and did I mention that the creek is AMAZING. I've felt too bad to even take pictures. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.... Here's to hopin...

This is what you eat when you have a cold.....

Yep, that's homemade chicken soup. And homemade noodles. It's so easy, it's Mother's noodle recipe and it just takes a few minutes to make homemade noodles, really it does.

Everybody should make noodles at least once in their lifetime. I'll tell you all how to make this great soup, but not tonight. I'm outta here tonight, but I will share Mother's family favorite recipe with you. In fact, I'll scrap a page using it. So if you are out and about this week, stop by Linens 'n Things or Kohls or a Kitchen shop, pick yourself up a noodle cutter, and you'll be all set. You can do it without the cutter, but it sure simplifies the process.

Stay tuned, I'll do this later in the week after we get back from Versailles....

Back in the saddle again...

Just thought I would let you all know that hubby left me my car today, so I zipped right down to Donut Bank this morning on my expired license for a sugar rush and a jolt of caffeine. I'm still sick, but nothing like a donut and coffee to perk a girl up...

I never realized how easy my car is to drive until that fiasco yesterday. Somebody emailed me and said I couldn't make all that stuff up. I didn't, I PINKY SWEAR I DIDN'T - I told it exactly like it was! Even I don't have that kind of imagination...