Tuesday, December 03

[karlinann]

Good morning Rounders! I have been up for hours and have already made 2 batches of Peanut Butter Cookies for gifting. I put chocolate chips in them and they will have to be frozen to keep them from melting until delivery. I have my Christmas cards written out and ready to go.

It's 39 degrees right now, but I know that will drop before too long. I have warmed up the house and it will last for a good while.

I usually wait until right before Christmas before putting up the tree, after I give the house a thorough cleaning. I will make some new ornaments this year too! I have some white felt and I can see some snowmen in my future! LOL!

The wind was so strong here all day yesterday. I took the mower and mulched up some leaves. I worked on the Downton Abbey puzzle all day, on and off, but I had to get out and get some fresh air. Five of my Cleome's are in bloom and I have a Bell Pepper that is almost ready to pick.

I just turned the heat on and the thermostat said 'Replace Battery'. Well, when the guy replaced our thermostat he didn't tell us you needed to replace the batteries once a year or show us how to get into it to replace said batteries. I had to go online and look up how to do it in the manual. That is a great thing that you can look at the manufacturer's manual. It gave me a picture and text of how to do it. I did it and I'm proud of myself. We have never had a thermostat that used batteries. That AC guy only came back once after he installed that and it was when I noticed a musty, moldy odor coming from the vents when the AC first came on. He was rude to me that day and told me in no uncertain terms that he didn't want me to use that word moldy and he was not going to be responsible for anything along those terms. Well, I let him do their treatment and sprayed stuff into the vents to make it smell better, but I never called him again. I wish my DH had been here to hear how he talked to me. Why is he never around when these people are so mean. Anyway, we have another AC company now and that guy was sweet compared to the other *urd. Oops!

Peace & Plenty.

ps Can you smell that chocolate and peanut butter scent?

[maxie]

Morning! Yes I can smell the chocolate and peanut butter....a yummy way to start the day! When my sister was going through her chemo a few years ago she made snowmen out of cheap white washcloths..she stuffed them and used her scrap pieces to decorate them. Every one of us has a string of snowmen! This year she is making the new couples a string. So darn cute!

This morning it is white with frost out. Yesterday it never got out of the 30s and the sun did not shine until almost sunset. It was a cold misty day. Drove Sierra to Urgent Care and she tested for the flu. Since she is over 3 days into it they gave her nothing but more time off work. She was still running fever yesterday but they put her in a mask when she walked in. All the sick people had mask...I needed a mask! Do you know how scary sick people are to healthy people? I did so much driving yesterday.... 3 round trips. One to get her there and back and one to take her home and back and one to take the wallet she left in the car with her rent money and back. I drove through one little town 6 times yesterday!! Jon and Andrew had to wait at the dentist and by the time he got in and then they had lunch he just brought him home an hour early. No sense going back for an hour or so the guys thought. We went out and Drew finished his shopping. He is down to just his sister. He wanted to wrap last night but My arms were so heavy from all that driving. It kinda scared me to have my arms and shoulders not work like that but leave it to my son to remind me I am soon to be 72 and should be expecting aches, pains and slow downs. What the heck good is it to be young of heart and mind and full of 'it' if your old body ain't in the mood to cooperate? Ya know?

Andrew has wrapped and put two packages under the tree and it is still undecorated. The house may be as done as it is going to be. I could bring up the totes and let the guys go at it but I gotta tell you that it would drive me crazy. Paula your picture is beautiful and elegant. A magazine picture!! I still have Thanksgiving crumbs under the table...I know, no excuse, but other peoples lives seem to be in my way.

I have nothing more to say this morning but need to settle in and do something. Meatloaf for supper because I have one frozen and just need to bake it. Laundry is piling up again and need to iron. We have a shopping/birthday trip planned for next week so will finish my shopping. I am not a normal Target shopper and was surprised last night. They used to carry a nicer brand of clothing and I could not even find one sweater that was not to short or kinda trashy. They also seemed to be under staffed. We do not like self check and were discussing it when a worker came by and said they would check us out at self check. We are firm believers that self check only benefits the stores bottom line but these lines were darn long and a paid employee was going to do it so for the sake on getting home and in bed on time we let them. Had a hockey game to watch. We won...always sweet to beat Chicago!

Karlinann I hate rude repairmen. We once had a guy do some work for us that refused to talk with a woman. My husband would tell me what to say before he left for work and then this guy ignored me when I tried to talk to him. You know I did not handle that well and let my husband handle it. You know what? that guy sent one of his workers over to talk to me after that! Not sure who won that situation....

I am going to finish up and must take care of floors today. They are going to crunch soon. Have a great day!!

[boffler]

Oh Maxie I do understand about the body and mind not being insynsc. So sorry to hear that Sierra has the flu. Yes to the rude repairment that are male chauvinist.

[karlinann]

Maxie, please ask your sister to tell you how she makes the snowmen out of wash cloths. Please! They sound adorable!

[bethina]

Good morning. One of my Christmas gifts to myself a hair cut and color tonight..I want to figure who is helping me this week. My new person originally couldn’t see me at all this week so the old one agreed to keep me but now the new one wants to see me. It doesn’t matter to me who I see as long as I see some one. I have a dinner tomorrow. Tomorrow after my dinner I think I am going to make banana bread.

[boffler]

Nice gift to yourself Beth, always cheers a person up to get hair done.

[boffler]

Good Morning, another dreary cold one out there...

Karliann the crafting idea sounds good....and Maxie, those snowmen made with washcloths, going to go search to see if I can find what they might look like...I made ornaments last year with the applesauce and cinnamon, when I opened the ornament box the smell can wafting through...

Our furnace repair guy has been here and gone already this morning, fastest response we have ever gotten, he got right to it, showed hubby what to do if it happened again, we did not need a new part just needed a better slope on the drains so it didn't get back to blower...two times our furnace shut off...we have a Lennox and it is only 5 yrs. old so was hoping it would not cost and arm and a leg to repair, only $120, nice, friendly man.

Today I need to make a grocery run, hubby has an hour training session and giving blood today, I will go with him to the area the training session is so I can pick up what we are being required to bring for the surprise party...If I say anything negative about said sister in law he gets p-od, so it's a mute point, she is the spoiled baby of the family, and she is the one grandpa left his fortune to when he passed away. So many things she has done...I would be ashamed, trouble is she doesn't see it..

Well I have had my shower, breakfast, repair guy finished, now time to do more finger shopping, got to keep UPS, USPS, FedEx in business..

Karliann, those cookies sure sound and smell good..

[Paula A]

Oh gosh! It has taken me quite a few attempts to read all the posts between kids issues this morning!
So, I may not respond to everything I read but I got worked up over a few! Lol
I have been pretty fortunate with repair guys. At least with how they talk to me.

I was going to say yesterday to keep a mask in your purse! The worst is when I think I am fine and then someone sits behind me and starts coughing away. That happens a week ago in church and I just keep leaning a bit forward and away! Then held a Kleenex up like I needed one.. and I did not get sick.

Karlinann, you have given me an idea. I bought a felted string of white poinsettias and then did not know what to do with it. It is too short to use on the tree and too expensive to go find more. I may just hang them individually if I decide to cut it.
These two 1 year olds are trying to climb in the chairs and neither one of them has that good of balance. See why it is taking me so long?

My friend wants to do meatloaf for our next shelter dinner. Potatoes, green beans and the whole shebang! Meatloaf for that many has me a bit worried but it does sound like such a comfort meal.

I better get this posted or who knows what will happen next?
Sun is out and by 11:00 we should be able to go outside and run!

[karlinann]

Paula, I save all my Split Top Wheat bread ends and put them in the freezer. When I make Meatloaf or Meat Balls I just take it out and tear into tiny bits. It makes the amount of meat go farther. Also I add vegetables like zucchini. I squeeze tomato ketchup over the top too! That really adds flavor.

[maxie]

Well, I just got an earful from my sister about doing all that driving and putting stress on already damaged joints. I have this darn shoulder and on the opposite side of my body is a nerve damaged elbow. Just part of living a pretty active life! Then Sierra calls saying she is feeling so much better and would I like to do lunch. Told her I am not driving anywhere and she is going to come here and lay around and drive to lunch. I would love to see her feeling better and alone. Not especially laying on my couch but and I take what I can get. Maybe she will stay for supper and help Andrew wrap? Might be to much to ask...

The snowmen are cut out with two side sewed together, stuffed and hand stitched shut. Mine are about 8 inches high but you can control your size. Being a sewer she has a box of bits and pieces for scarfs and hats and little dresses and pants. Then they are attached at the hands to make a string. Wish I could post a pic but, alas, that is beyond my capabilities.

My husband was an only child and the only sister in law we have problems with is my one brothers wife...we dearly love the other. This is my Texas brother and his wife...they live a different lifestyle than we do and it shows in their demands. Fortunately we only see them twice a year and normally take their orders but this year my sister is controlling the gathering time and place. LOL...going to be interesting.

I need to unload the dishwasher so I can load it up again. Always something to do but unless you wanna live in filth what ya gonna do?

[jostoy]

Good afternoon everyone.

Sharon, yes I have heard for several years how THAT SIL treats Doug. He will come to the realization some day that he is now retired, and that he worked all those years for the 2 of you to enjoy life together, doing whatever you both enjoy. I just hope he comes to that before one of you can't or aren't able to do your "thing".

You wouldn't believe the fiascal that I went through yesterday. The Dr',s nurse said I could go to Ortho One, the building next to the Dr.'s, to get an x-ray. So I immediately went as I was already dressed. Well I go in and tell the check in person I was there to get an x-ray for possible broken ribs. Then she tells me I have to go through the walk in clinic. So I go sit down and wait at least an hour before being called in for registration. So I go through that process that took at least 15-20 minutes. Then the gal asks me "what am I here for" and I tell her I had fallen about 10 days ago, and I need x-rays of my ribs. Now you ready for this? She tells me they don't do ribs or facial x-rays.

So now I go across to my Dr.'s office and asks to speak to the nurse. Now this lady at the desk was so nice and followed through with everything. When she first went in the back, she told me that everyone was in rooms with patients and that she left a note for the nurse. I said I hope she'd see the note, and the gal said "oh she'll see it because I put it in the middle of her computer monitor".

So maybe about 10 minutes after that, the nurse came out to talk to me to get what areas I was hurting. I at that time told her what Ortho One had told me about not X-raying Ribs or facial. Nurse apologized to me for my time over there, and that she didn't know that. Well my comment,

in a kind manner,

was that she now knows that .

Anyway she went back to the Dr. and came back in maybe 10 minutes with a paper to take to the Parkview Lab & x-ray. That is maybe 3 miles north of where I live, and the area that I do everything at. I checked in and waited maybe 10 minutes. I handed the paper work to the registration gal. Had very few questions to answer as the paperwork had everything she needed. Went back out to the waiting area, and didn't even get the seat I was in warm, and the x-ray tech came out to get me. Was out of there in 20-25 minutes. Now that was service.

So that is my fiascal for x-rays. Still haven't heard if I have any broken ribs. But when you live in a city of 265,000 +, you have to wait a little longer for results.

Hope all have great day.

[karlinann]

Girl, I would have been going off. I have no patience.

[Paula A]

oh what an ordeal!!!