Dazzling December

[SKendall]

Re: Dazzling December

Morning all, didn't get a chance to post on the weekend bc I car shopped and had Vivian over. I've got my eye on a Subaru.

Pauly, bummer that they are drinking and it's disrupting your comfort zone, great that hubbie enjoyed his birthday and Mexican food. That was a big plate for little 'ol you.

Star, you had Mexican too, yum. Has anyone tried corn on the cob with parmesan? I read a restaurant review a while ago and they raved about it. I would probably make a little pile and roll the corn in it.

Our temps are low 40's to mid 60's. When I lived in Canada and we stayed at our weekend home it was so gorgeous to watch. There were no city lights and around twilight when the sky is a beautiful lavender color the softly falling snow lit by the yard lights was magical. You could see the snowflake designs. Once we got seriously snowed in and husband skied 8 miles to get his cigs, lol. Then we would go back to the city where the snow was dirty and we would wish for spring. When we were transferred to Dallas, hubs threw out his galoshes with great ceremony.

Lav, your DIL and my DD have much in common. I like your idea of a buffet type meal. What's for dessert?

Cyn, I hope you are feeling better today. I really think a back brace is very useful if you are moving and lifting (bend at the knees!). I know you have the heating pad, and I couldn't live without one.

I'm glad I'm not allergic to dust, my ceiling fans have accumulated some and I'm trying for a professional clean this week.

Star, sounds like you had a really good time. Good your son decorated the tree.

Vivian came over yesterday and I had a couple of Amazon boxes. She wanted to open them and one was the elf on a shelf! I didn't realize it. She loved it and named it Gingersnap! Apparently, only adults can touch them. We watched YouTube videos of elf on a shelf and she snuggled up to me, very nice.

Hope everyone has a happy Monday.

[SKendall]

Re: Dazzling December

P.S. Cyn, I use a local high school kid when I want things moved or lifted. He advertises as "Kid with a truck" use this app called "Nextdoor". You can buy, sell. find a good mechanic and it has police updates etc.. You just pop in your zip code and become connected to your neighbors and I've found it very useful.

[Lavande]

Re: Dazzling December

Greetings friends,

Busy all day today, same tomorrow, ‘tis the season

Star, I love leftovers on these busy days, helps save my sanity, ha ha!
I hope you can things coordinated with your daughter soon. I don’t really need long range firm plans but it is nice to take the pressure off a busy season like this, right?

Pauly, I watch people drink, I watch them eat ice cream or yogurt or cheese & I think - why can’t I have that stuff too?
The answer is I can have all that IF I want to be sick! Do I want to be sick? Definitely not so I refuse to dwell on that stuff. Don’t torture yourself, think about feeling better by doing without! I’m grateful I finally accepted what I needed to accept!

Cyn, no drama is a good thing, LOL
I hope you were able to get your day organized & got caught up enough. Nothing needs to be perfect all of the time

SK, I hope you get the Subaru, they’re pretty cool these days.
My Christmas eve dessert will hopefully be the tons of cookies I usually bake, we shall see
All of my cooking & baking needs to be dairy free for me & now my granddaughter. Glad I have company on my dairy free journey
My husband does the elf on the shelf thing with the kids. He’s actually more creative with it than I am, go figure!

Heading out most of the day tomorrow so I’ll be working late again, oh well.
Have a nice night everyone!

Lav

[SKendall]

Re: Dazzling December

Evening. Was productive today with copying and faxing, I have to use the UPS store. Made an appt. to move my stuff from storage to my garage here, then made an appt. for cleaning people. I tried vacuu
ming on Saturday and was in total pain. I do have a Roomba, but need to find the gizmo to block it off, or it goes reeling. It is still a great tool, although Peggy doesn't know what to make of it. I bought DD one for last Xmas and Vivian calls it Fabio(?).

Every time I typed vacuuming, it looked wrong, so I went to Wikipedia, 2 "u"'s together make it another word that people learning English have to see it as another exception. French is such a precise language, and although I only know a little, I admire the language, i.e. International language for Olympic games. French is so precise they have a very small dictionary compared to us.

I'm still poking thru Pension issues. I'll have to get my printer hooked up, will talk to Matt.

We had a girl abducted from leaving the school bus passing thru the outdoor bathrooms. She was taken in a car and driven around for about an hour, then released an hour later a mile away.

We got an email warning us, with a new set of warnings. I emailed back to tell them we should be entitled to at least security cameras in some areas. This little girl was abducted as she walked past the outdoor bathrooms, which is dark and a perfect hiding place. I sent them Amazon examples for security cameras thru Amazon, very inexpensive. This apt. complex is advertised as a luxury apt. complex, but it really is not.

It became a balmy 77 deg., falling 10 deg. overnight.

See you tomorrow.

[Snoopy56]

Re: Dazzling December

Good morning...

Drove to my daughter's, the Christmas outfits fit like a dream, I was very happy. Went out to lunch and the mall with them and had fun. By the time I drove home I was tired, so watched a little TV and relaxed. Today exercise and working on my cooking class. I have to find two bean recipes with one type of bean and make them tomorrow with all that goes along with it. Then I am over half way done, yay.

Lav, so important to create thoughts that say reinforce our quit, I like how you lumped no alcohol with no dairy. It is a food allergy, alcohol. I believe that.

Pauly, it would be tough to be around family drinking all day/a few days. You did good.

Cyn, good idea to seek help with the yard and with work. You are only one person.

Skendall, nice day with granddaughter, glad you had a lovely time. Nothing like it! Subaru's are good vehicles, hope it works out. It was a little warmer here yesterday too, but today back to cold and I guess a little snow.

Have a good AF Tuesday.

[paulywogg]

Re: Dazzling December

Morning friends,Star,glad the outfits fit sounds like you had a fun day,I wanna try and stop at the mall on Friday but getting Kell to go in there is like pulling teeth,she's just getting big,grouchy and uncomfortable poor thing but I don't wanna go alone either,I believe alcohol is an allergen as well,I'd start sneezing as soon as I had any,just gross! Cyn,hope you're feeling a bit more rested and well today SK,that's cute about the elf on the shelf,,glad they found the little girl wow that's scary,Lav,getting ahold on my thinking is a biggie,I was reading one of my old journal threads here last night and while I haven't been perfect these past couple of years I've defo grown up a little and I don't really even recognize that person in that thread,she seems cocky and not very serious about staying AF,even though at the time I thought I was,now I know I am but yet its still a struggle,not a daily one just a here and there one but still too much,wishes for a happy,healthy Tuesday

[treegirl]

Re: Dazzling December

Morning all -

Lav, life sounds busy and good for you. I loved the site you recommended for the dairy-free pie, since it also had GF and sugar free options - do they have cookies on that site too? If I get a moment I would like to make some little cookies - that seems to be so festive. Good luck with all you have to accomplish in this season.

SK - I am so luck to live in the kind of environment that you described in your Canada time. There are no street lamps around here, just the moon and the snow. (Which is why I backed my car into a tree in the pitch-black) Everyday I mark some beautiful light, or clouds, or moon. The snow over the weekend was partly and beautiful - it came down slowly and just kept piling up. I well know how different it is in a city after a couple of days... I feel lucky. Vivian has a wonderfully creative streak! I wonder if she will be a writer some day. Thx for the app idea, I will try it. There is also a local FB page - I forget to use it...

Pauly, I finally logged onto FB and saw your fun pics. Nice to have family close by; I am feeling lonely at this time of year. But I pick HB this morning from the train, and the mini-tornado will start up agin lol! I won't be thinking about being lonely then... ha! Hope you are feeling well - you are busy, I'm sure.

Star, you are sticking with your cooking class in the midst of all the holiday stuff -- good for you! One reason I love the snow so much is that it completely covers up the To Do list outside - everything is covered and calm and beautiful, ha! I only need to worry about feeding the birds... have fun with all your preparations.

I finished 99.99% of my Book Proposal by yesterday morning... I will finish up the Marketing section and then let it rest for the holiday season while I work on Book agent query letters. I'm sure no one is doing much business in the publishing world right now, but it feels good to have a big part of this done. Now on to fulfill some obligations for my Marketing and Development position for the summer festival, and fitting in a few clients. Trying to stay calm and centered. Breathe, right?

May we be well ---

[paulywogg]

Re: Dazzling December

Yep,just breathe Cyn

[Lavande]

Re: Dazzling December

Good evening friends,

Wow, busy day but got a lot done
We made visits to the cemeteries back in our old hometown & I even had a chance to walk around a real mall & bought myself two sweaters at Macy's, ha ha! I always bought myself birthday gifts while Christmas shopping, LOL

Star, I love bean dishes but I don't think they are helping with my weight, honestly. Maybe too many carbs for this oldie?
Glad you had success with the outfits for the boys. We stopped at Costco on the way home & I picked up a hooded sweatshirt for my younger grandson that looks just like YB's. The kid really likes that shirt for some reason, funny.

Cyn, no one wants to feel lonely nor do they appreciate having too many people in their face - right? I'm like that too. It's hard to find a good balance at times.
Finding the right people for the right job is important so don't give up looking. Our local FB page has put us in touch with several people we've hired for jobs around here including that driveway job we just had done!!!!
Keep pacing yourself & getting the rest you need, OK?

Pauly, I was like a kid in the mall today walking around with my eyes wide open, taking in all the sights, ha ha! I've been sitting down here for nearly 15 years shopping primarily on Amazon & a few tiny little local stores. I had forgotten the thrill, LOL
I'm dropping something in the mail for you in the morning

SK, enjoy your balmy weather because we have a serious cold front blowing in here right now. Single digit wind chills expected tomorrow, oh my!
Cute that Viv has a nickname for the Roomba, love kids & their sense of humor. I know you have a lot going on & mountains of paperwork to go through but I hope the spirit of the holidays is present too :hug:

Have a peaceful night one & all!

Lav

[Snoopy56]

Re: Dazzling December

Good morning...

There is hope for our country. Jones, a Democrat, won the Alabama election. I did not think he would, but I was wrong. So, have faith. I have been very upset with politics and the knowledge that many people I know are die hard 45ers. I just don't get it, but there are sensible people too, who don't support sexual predators, pro-slavers, anti-LGBTQ, and those things matter. Alot.

Lav, I love going to the mall, as you know, we live five minutes from the best mall and go there often. It is just so easy and living close I can go at off times. So happy you went to Macy's, enjoyed yourself and bought some things for yourself! I soaked the black beans all night, currently simmering them on the stove for over an hour, then will let them cool off and cook later today. Soup and refried beans, for tacos. This is giving me something useful to do, and I love to cook. Now I can in a more healthy way. The refried beans recipe is no added oil or fat, so will be a healthy dish. I think it is important to have some beans in our diet, the fiber alone makes our bodies run the way they should, if you get my meaning. The key is portion control, but having said that, we are all different too and have to adjust for our body type.

Cyn, it feels good to accomplish a big task and now your husband is coming home so the Christmas season is really beginning. Take time to take care of yourself and ask for help. I do now, and found out that my family is happy to help out, no matter what. Even my son, if I make it clear I need him. The area you live in is beautiful with snow floating down, covering the land. I love this time of year.

Pauly, the end of pregnancy is a crabby uncomfortable time. You may have to shop by yourself.

Skendall, hope your week is going well.

Have a great day!

[treegirl]

Re: Dazzling December

Morning all - just a quick hello. We're back off to NYC for 2 days. HB came home yesterday so that I wouldn't have to drive the car into the city... we need a car to take away all the things that he moved into that apartment the last 3 months. Good thing I have lots of experience packing people up and moving them. He is hopeless! If we get done early enough on Thursday, we might go home then rather than stay the extra night. I have kind of had enough of NYC...

Yes Pauly, a good time for breathing! Thx for the bump on that!

Lav, so glad you found something for yourself while shopping! Your bday in in this next week somewhere, right? I'll start baking a virtual gf dairy free cake!

Star, yes such good news in that election. Let's remember that it took 300,000 doors knocked on to get Jones' message across and get voters to the polls -- we all need to be boots on the ground in our areas to have a similar success. I know that Flippable and Indivisible were both highly invested in getting the vote out... bless them. I hope that your bean dish turned out well!

SK - do you have your printer set up yet? Does it have a scanning function? The reason I ask is that when I was executor of my mom's estate, I paid for a tax-by-email program on my computer. I scanned in the things to be faxed and then emailed/faxed them to whomever. It was a lifesaver! Good luck with all of that; paperwork can be so exhausting... I hope you are taking care of yourself and doing something nice.

Good luck to all today, and wishing you some peace in the moments --

[paulywogg]

Re: Dazzling December

Morning friends,Star,I would think beans are a healthy way to get some protein and fiber in your diet,especially since you're avoiding meat,I'm with you on portion control,its not what just how much Cyn,safe travels and I hope its an easy move out,Lav,glad you bought something nice for yourself I can't shop without picking me up something haha,waves to SK,wishing us all a happy AF Wednesday

[SKendall]

Re: Dazzling December

MAE. a balmy 75 deg, so I ate lunch al fresco; smokes salmon crepes. I took Peggy with me and she is pooped right now. I was having lunch in an outdoor shopping area they call Watters Creek with ducks, etc.

I noticed they did horse and carriage rides so I asked DD if we could meet there and she said sure, on Sunday
They have a treehouse over the creek with drums, etc. for kids. The last time I was there they had a 15 pc. band playing. My fave Mexican restaurant is there, Mi Cucina who makes excellent tortilla soup with avocado.

Lav, glad you had fun at the mall, they really are very festive and makes for great people watching. When we moved from Dallas to WA state and 10 acres in the boonies, I went to Seattle and struggled with sensory overload!

Pauly and Mick and PQ, it is a difficult time of year remembering our losses. I have been remembering the very best of Christmases and shut out the sad ones.

Star, too right on the election. It took a lot of hard work to get those votes. Of course DT said, he knew Moore would lose?

I'm watching the movie, The Great Train Robbery. The Brits do those kinds of movies so well and I love art heists as well. I think they are doing a movie of Hatfield Gardens where the whole gang was over 60 and Michael Caine wants to be the lead.

See you later.

Cyn, I hope all your hard work is done so you can enjoy Christmas.

[Lavande]

Re: Dazzling December

Good evening friends,

Happy Hump day to all
Never got above freezing today & the winds were whipping & gusting to 41mph, geez! Talk about nasty!!!
My chickens had no problem with the weather & went out for their afternoon walk as usual, ha ha!

Star, I am probably one of the few people on the planet who measure servings.....doesn't seem to matter with my broken down metabolism. I really cannot tolerate large amounts of food in one sitting anyway, grazing is better for me although I don't really graze, LOL
I make homemade refried beans too using just a small dab of olive oil to saute whatever I am throwing in with the beans. YB continues to lose weight eating what I cook but I don't, definitely not fair!

Cyn, my birthday is in the 19th & has always gotten lost in the Christmas rush. Buying something for myself while shopping has always made it better, ha ha!
I hope your NYC stay is brief & you get back home quickly.
Last night's news regarding the Alabama election had me worried when I read about the voter suppression that was going on. Thank goodness everything worked out anyway!
We need to keep moving forward & help our country find it's morality again.

Pauly, hope your day was a good one

SK, I did actually experience sensory overload at the mall yesterday! It was so hard adjusting to 'country life' when we moved here in 2003. Now when I go back to the suburb of Philly where I lived the first 49 1/2 years of my life I feel like I'm on another planet - geez!
Your weekend plan sounds nice, enjoy

Now I hear there's an Alberta Clipper bringing us snow overnight. That should make tomorrow real interesting!!! Glad I don't have to drive at 6 am in this sh*t anymore!!!
Wishing everyone a nice night!

Lav

[Snoopy56]

Re: Dazzling December

Good morning...

Lav, it is cold here too! It was really windy last night, not sure what today has in store for us weatherwise. I am driving to pick up my grandson and will have him overnight, so lucky me. I made bean and orange soup and refried beans for tacos and they were both delicious. Beans fill me up pretty quick, but not in a heavy way, not like meat, so will make that again. My husband liked both dishes too which is a plus. Really enjoying the cooking class. It would be tough to have your birthday right before Christmas, especially as a kid when it is a big deal. I like the idea of buying yourself something, good for you.

Pauly, how is work going? It's a big deal to get a new manager, hope it is working out for you and Kell. I have to make a list for the rest of my shopping this Saturday, Christmas Eve is next Sunday, so I need to get it together!

Cyn, another move, wow, you are a warrior. Hope things go smoothly and you have a pleasant time at home for the holidays. I know what you mean about big cities, a day in Chicago and I was always ready to come home with nature and quiet. Still feel the same, I love cities, but in small doses.

Skendall, you described keeping busy and making plans, sounds like you are feeling pretty good. Hope so. A dog is a great companion. I was watching a new show on animal planet and it was about helping families with overweight dogs. Pretty interesting, the dogs needed three walks a day, 20-25 minutes. That's a big time commitment, and this was ongoing.

No big cooking plans today, leftovers and we'll see for dinner. My son is supposed to come over and help me as my husband has to work till eight, so we may go to the Mall and the Food Court. Sounds like a plan to me. Have a great AF Thursday.