Pure bliss, it doesn't cost a lot...

What is your favorite lotion?  Not the newer ones, remember back to what you used as a teenager.  Mine was Jergen's, original scent, naturally.  I think that's the only scent Jergen's made when I was a teenager.  I love the cherry almond smell, and keep a pump bottle on the computer desk, it makes me smile every time I use it.  I keep Carmex on my computer desk, too, but that's a whole other blog...

I also have Jergens in my purse, and this fall I was in the car with John and I put some on my hands.  He immediately wanted to know what that smell was, he remembered it as well.

So if you're out and about this weekend, pick up an old friend, a favorite lotion from long ago, and see if it won't give you a smile, too.  And while you're at it, pick up a glass pot of Carmex and some Luden's Cherry Cough Drops.  It's a cheap thrill..

Oh, I wish you were all here right now...

Some dog is barking to Jingle Bells on the radio and the M&M's are going bonkers.  Maggie is circling, growling and barking, Mollie even got up from her nap to chime in.

Silly little dogs, this is funny beyond words...

Ribbon Candy and other wonderous Christmas treats...

This was the Christmas candy of my childhood.  Syrupy sweet, lemon, peppermint, spearmint,  I loved all the flavors!  It's still around, I sometimes buy it at CVS or Walgreens.  Still tastes the same, too.

I'm also a huge fan of chocolate covered cherries.  Daddy bought them for me every Christmas, nobody else liked them, so I rationed myself one a day, and ate the whole box.  Mother was a fan of filled hard Christmas candy, but I was never cared for the jellied centers.

We always had bowls of Christmas candy sitting around, nuts and a nutcracker in a wooden bowl, orange peelings and cloves  simmering on the stove, and Andy Williams crooning Christmas carols on the stereo.   I have wonderful Christmas memories of life in the country, snow on the ground, and you would think a fresh cut tree, too.  But oh no, we had the aluminum tree with the color wheel that turned the tree colors.  We had all blue bulbs, and we would turn off the lights and sit and watch the tree change colors.

When I was really young we did have a real tree with bubble lights.  I adore bubble lights, John and Deanna do, too.  I wish I still had Mother's, but they're long gone now.  Do you know how expensive the old bubble lights from the 40's and 50's are now?  They sell on eBay from $500-$750 a set.  Amazing, huh.

I'm not decorating this year, we're going to be with John and Deanna at Christmas, and neither one of us wants to drag everything out of the attic.  But when Abby is a bit older, we will recreate the sock monkey tree, I think she will love it.

It's been a busy time here, no blogging going on, but things are settling down now and I'll be around more. Hope you are all making great progress with your shopping.  And if you buy some ribbon candy this year,  eat a piece or two for me.  {;o)

~ jan

Let's talk about something a lot better than that old microwave...

Okay, I needed this smile after the morning I've had.  This is Miss Abigail on her way home from visiting the relatives this morning.  She's talking on her cell phone, brushing her hair.

Oh, is this cute or what?   Nothing like a grandtoddler to make your day!!!  Thanks for sending this, Dilly, it kind of puts everything into perspective about what's important in life!!!

I still hate that damn microwave!!!!!

Oh, do I ever hate the thing.  Remember my post a few weeks ago about the new microwave and how I wasn't liking it?  Everybody said, "just hang on, you'll get used to it, it will be okay."  Oh yeah, right.  Well I've hung on and I'm not getting used to it and I still hate it.  It's hard to operate, it doesn't work worth crap and do you know what happened this morning????

Oh, I'm still fuming.  Okay, here's my rant.  I've cooked my morning poached egg in the wave for years now, years, and I've never had a problem, never.  Put hot water in a mug, add a spash of white vinegar, a pinch of salt, slide my egg into the water and nuke for a minute fifteen seconds.  Comes out perfect every time.

I even managed to make it in this new disaster of a wave and it worked okay.

So this morning, I'm nuking my egg, pouring coffee and all of a sudden I hear the blast from hell from the area of the microwave.  It blew up... my egg BLEW UP!  It spewed egg and water all over the interior of the gawdawful contraption, and when I opened the door, it dripped blobs of egg down on my stovetop.  Oh, I'm seeing red, can you tell???

I would like to get rid of the damn thing, but I just bought it.  If this doesn't improve in the next thirty days, it's going on eBay.  But whatever you do, if you see my auctions, don't bid on it!!!

Even hubby doesn't like it, his popcorn is not popping like the old one, so that's a major issue in itself around here.

And how is your day going?  Mine is spouting profanity, as you can tell, which doesn't help at all, and once again reminding yours truly that Grammie has to clean up her mouth.  Little pitchers, ya know....

ROARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Another year bites the dust...

It was a good Thanksgiving, and  great birthday.  I'm just grateful that I'm in good health, and able to enjoy my birthday with my family.  It's not so bad being sixty-one, after all, sixty-one is the new fifty-one, right?

This is Miss Abigail, fresh from her bath.  She has provided the entertainment all day.  We all are so amazed at how much she has changed this month.  She walks, and talks, and chases the M&M's around the house.  She's no longer a baby, definitely a toddler now.

We did a turkey bakeoff this year, the guys smoked theirs in the backyard, we baked Pioneer Woman's turkey, but with a twist.  We flipped the turkey upside down and baked it breast side down.

And the verdict?  We all liked the flavor of the smoked best, but we definitely liked the juiciness of the breast down bird.  That's a great technique, we'll do it again for sure.  We brined both turkeys, but Pioneer Woman's just didn't have enough flavor.

We also made her pecan pie instead of Dear Abby's.  But traditions die hard around here, and even though it was good, Dear Abby is still the fave.  However, the Lawry's Banana Coconut Cream Pie with Coconut Crust was a huge hit.  It was absolutely awesome!  I had forgotten what a great recipe this is, but we'll definitely make it again.

Hubby is in bed already, the rest of the family is watching Uncle Buck and laughing like they've never seen it before.  Yours truly is going to shut this machine down and waddle off to bed, too.

Happy Turkey Day everyone, and happy shopping tomorrow if you're brave enough to face the crowds.  I'm going to pass on it, I never shop the day after Thanksgiving.
~ Jan

Black Friday deals online on Thanksgiving day...

Check this article out, looks like we can beat the rush, avoid the crowds by shopping Thanksgiving day online and getting the Black Friday deals that are going to be in the stores Friday morning..  Works for me.


Here's the article>>>

Jan & Friends Thanksgiving Recipes

It's that time of year, I'm running a bit late posting this.  If you're new to my blog, this collection are my girlfriend's favorite recipes, I post them every Thanksgiving.  They are all tried 'n true.

Check them out here, and then just click on each individual recipe and you will link to them>>>

Happy cooking...

~ jan

Sarah Palin's Alaska, my take on the halibut episode...

I'm taking the politics out of this blog.  At this point, I don't really know whether I would support Sarah Palin in a run for President or not, however, after watching the last two episodes of this program, I did learn some things about the lady.

1. She's feisty, we all know that, but now we realize that she is extremely multi-faceted, as well.
2. Her physical stamina is amazing, her body is strong and she works extremely hard.
3. Gotta throw in the girl card, I'm thinking she has some kind of hair piece in the top of her hair, and she always has the makeup on.  Good for her.  The hottie husband doesn't hurt, either. ;o)
4. She obviously loves Alaska and actually lives in the environment, she's very comfortable in the wilderness.

And now to the halibut gutting, clubbing the fish over the head episode.  

I haven't read the reviews on this program today, but I would imagine that she is really taking a lot of flack for Bristol clubbing the fish and subsequently killing and gutting them.  A lot of people, especially women,  have evolved in this society to the point that they don't think about happens before that fish shows up at the local fish market.  They buy it, never thinking of the process it takes to get it there and not wanting to know.  And the same with our meat and poultry, people these animals have to be slaughtered and processed before they arrive at your local grocery store.  

I'm a country girl, I was raised with family butchering meat every winter.  We always butchered after Thanksgiving, because by then it was cold enough to salt the hams and bacon and leave them hanging in the smokehouse without spoiling.  Our weather has changed so much over the years that it would be unrealistic today.  It's approaching 70 degrees today in Heavensville, certainly not butchering weather at all.

So if you are one of the people who was totally turned off by this program, and squeal, "eeeew, that's icky," you are just sticking your head in the sand.  I thought it was such an accurate portrail of what actually takes place in the wild.

I've blogged before about my mother wringing chicken's necks when I was a child, and then hanging them on the clothesline to bleed, singeing the feathers, gutting the chicken and getting it ready for Sunday dinner.  We did this because it was necessary, we had to do this to survive.  It could happen to us again, we hope it never will, but we don't know with the way the world is what our future holds.  So those of you who are squeamish about this sort of thing, you need to put on your big girl panties and take note of programs like this that educate us in what needs to be done in order to feed your family should the need arise.

Good for you Sarah Palin, for telling it like it is and showing us your Alaska.  I admire your candid portrail of your life, most politicians would never be so bold as to do something like this.

Women of a certain age should NEVER wear ribbed sweaters...

Yes,  I'm guilty of wearing them, in fact I just bought another one last week,  but when I'm in the dressing room, and look at myself with one on, it's really pathetic.  Even though they're vertical ribs, all those ribs do is to manage somehow to lay in every fat roll in my midsection.  Cmon' ladies, let's be honest here, we all have the dreaded rolls, even if we pretend we don't,  we all have them!

We've borne babies, lived life, eaten out way too much and exercised way too little. And when we're in that dressing room, we curse every piece of chocolate, every Frito, every pint of Ben & Jerry's, yes the entire pint, every piece of pie and cake, not to mention cookies, oh and nuts, can't forget the nuts,  that's ever passed our lips!  But those dressing rooms and their glaring lighting make it even worse, but that's a whole other blog post.

But back to my rant.  A lot of us are post menopausal now and all that adds up to a sagging mid section, which those darned ribbed sweaters accentuate, even with a body shaper.  So why did I even buy yet another one?  Dunno, brain fart, I guess.  So I'll just cover it up with a wrap from Omar the Tent Maker, that will work.  Um hmm, sure thing, Jan.  Sure it will....

Now where is that toy department, It's around here somewhere

My mommy taught me how to shop, and I'm really good at it, too..

Date Night...

Since I was a teenager, I've always thought of Friday night as date night.  And with hubby's work schedule in recent years, they've been far and few between.  But that's all changed, and now we can go out again on Friday night.

Here we are last night, doesn't he look thrilled?  Do you think he even wants to date me??  I'm thinking by the looks of this picture, maybe not, he doesn't look very happy.   I,  however, was absolutely estatic to be  going out on Friday night!  We were supposed to double date with Rich and V, but they were grounded and couldn't go.

And how was my evening?  Well, we went to Deerhead, where I had a catfish sandwich that I "thought" I wanted, but I was drooling at everybody else scarfing down ooey gooey pizza.  So I decided right then and there that I want pizza for my birthday dinner next week.  Got that family, pizza, preferably John's homemade, which is the best pizza in the world, seriously, it is!

Then we went to the movies, saw Wall Street, Money Never Sleeps, which I thought hubby would enjoy, and he did.  However, yours truly thought it was the most gawdawful movie I've ever seen in my life.  All that Wall Street lingo, I was lost from the beginning.  But he's sat through enough chick flicks with me, that it didn't hurt me to watch this.  Compromise, remember.

And it was fun to get out, and he did tell me I looked nice and opened my car door for me, so all in all, it was an "okay" date.  I think I'll go out with him again, if he asks...

Retirement...

Hubby is retired now, yesterday was his last day working.  It sounds strange even saying it, and we're both still trying to absorb it all.  He says he doesn't feel retired, and I've been preparing for this for months now, but now that it's actually here, it's ummmm, interesting?

I've had a lot of advice from girlfriends.  My friend Mary said it best when she said "when they first retire, it's a dance, with you both trying to figure out the steps."  

Another friend suggested that we each have our own room and that the other doesn't enter without permission.  I mentioned this to LC, so he has been standing at the sunroom door, waving at me.  Somehow I don't think that's going to work.  But I've always been a pretty good dancer, I think I'll give that a try first.

I think our biggest challenge will be the difference in schedules and energy levels.  He gets up before dawn, goes like a bat outta hell until noon, eats lunch, then collapses in his recliner watching the Western Channel and napping.

I prefer to get up between seven and eight, be quiet for the next half hour or so, have my coffee and begin my day.  This morning he was cleaning out the dishwasher at 7am with the television blaring.  And although it was great that he did that, I would have rather him done it a bit later.  And so it begins. 

Retirement means compromising for both of us, kind of like when we were first married.  Well, not exactly, but you get my drift.  It will be interesting for awhile, then we will settle into a routine, I'm sure and get on with it.  The kids are thrilled that we can visit on weekends now, we're so happy that he doesn't have to work holidays, which means I don't have to cook that darned turkey anymore, we will go to their houses.

I was an only child, I made every holiday dinner all these years, so I'm more than ready to let the younger generation take over.  We're going to John and Deanna's next week.  They are happily planning it all out,  and I'm happily letting them.  I will just play with Abby and let them go for it.  And hubby, will he be relaxing? Of course not, he will be up before dawn, doing a major reorganization in John's garage.  He's absolutely thrilled to have a project.  And me, I'll be sleeping, hopfully until eight...

Yep, I'm looking forward to this rainy night, FINALLY, rain!!!!

Check out the threads…

Can you guess who bought her this outfit??? Of course you can, yep it was me, Grammie!

A girl is never to young to wear a bit of leopard you know.

Look at how long her hair is getting.  Is there going to be another redhead in our family, or is it the lighting.  I’m thinking red curls may be in our future…

Looking forward to Thanksgiving…

Especially this year, since hubby is retiring next week and won’t have to work thru the holidays. 

Like most of you, we stick to our family traditions, but we’ve decided to shake it up just a little bit this year and abandon Dear Abby’s Pecan Pie, which we have been making for the past thirty something years in favor of trying Pioneer Woman’s Pecan Pie.  That Pioneer Woman is totally awesome, so her pie must be good.

And we’re going to make the recipe I got from the LA Food Times for Banana Coconut Cream Pie with Coconut Crust, which is nectar of the gods, and has more calories than you want to think about.  It’s the crust that takes it to the next level, butter and coconut, why wouldn’t it be good.  But damn those calories, it’s Thanksgiving, I’m gonna eat it alllllll, girlfriends…

If you’re interested, here are the links -

Lawry’s Coconut Banana Cream Pie>>>

Pioneer Woman’s Pecan Pie, the pie that’ll make you cry>>>

Gobble, gobble Waddle, waddle… ~ jan

Wouldn't you kill for this closet!!!

Source:  Julie Mihaly

If I were brave…

This is so awesome, women living life to the fullest.  My friend, Martha Bowman is one of those women.  See her at 3:00 into the video.

Marie Osmond talking about her son’s death on Oprah…

If you missed seeing Marie Osmond on Oprah yesterday, you  missed the most moving, tragic, heartfelt television show I’ve ever seen.  She was talking about the death of her son, she was so honest and open and she’s  still so brokenhearted, it was really difficult to watch her talk about this and experience her pain, but it was so touching that she would open up and talk so honestly about this.  I hope that it was a healing experience for her.

I’ve been a fan of hers, always.  In the early 90’s, we were at the annual Toy Show in New York, it’s a big deal, all of big guns are there.  We had a booth just a few aisles away from the booth that was selling Marie’s dolls.  And one afternoon she came and worked in her booth, meeting people, talking about her dolls.  I stood in front of her booth and watched her all afternoon, so close to her that I could almost reach out and touch her.

She looked beautiful that day, I’ll never forget what she was wearing.  A  brown velvet blazer, a long brown paisley skirt and tall brown suede boots.  She was gracious and kind to all of the people, and her trademark laugh just rang through the building.

I’m including a link to parts of this show from Oprah’s site in case you missed it.  I had no idea that the quality of her voice was so good that she could sing opera flawlessly, but you will see what I mean when you hear her sing “Pie Jesu.”  And if you scroll down there are several video clips from the show that you can watch.

It was truly a once in a lifetime experience, by far the best hour I’ve ever spent watching Oprah.

Here’s the link>>>

I wish they had included more of the interview, so I went to YouTube and sure enough, there is lots more on their site than on the Oprah link.

Here’s the YouTube link>>>

If you watch this, ladies, get out your kleenex, this will tug at every mother’s heartstrings.

Call your children today, hug them if you can and tell them how much you love them.  Keep them close to your heart and be so grateful that you have them, I know I am.

~ jan