Happy New Year to all!!
I was just thinking of some of the New Year's Traditions we have here in The South...the southern part of the United States. Some are based on tradition and some are just the way we have always done it. My husband's family has a tradition of wearing new clothes on New Year's day. It is for good luck and somehow or other is supposed to keep the birds from crapping on ya. Don't ask me..it is their tradition. On to more normal ones...like my family had when I was growing up.
Eating black eyed peas is a must. It helps keep us humble and is a reminder of the post Civil War days when there was nothing to eat. Dried peas were fed to cattle, but folks learned they could be made into a tasty dish for hungry people, too. I love them, but this year will need to only eat one spoonful. They are high in purines...remember the whole gout thing that is going on still.
Greens such as turnip greens and or cabbage are good for luring cash/wealth in your direction in the coming year. We are having both, because Lord knows I need some. My rental property has been vacant for nearly a year. Oy! Anyway, our local grocery store had cabbage for 4 pounds for $1 the other day and we bought some, but I just saw this morning that another store had it for 19 cents a pound! We may go get more. I love cabbage and I can eat all I want and that is good! I'll need to make some cornbread to go with all this. Also, our turnips are big enough to pull and cook along with the tops, known as turnip greens. The greens part is pretty small and the bugs have eaten their share...there are holes in the leaves, but we wash it good before cooking. Last summer we had tomatoes in that bed and now turnips. Yay..we are farmers. I love it. I've been perusing the Park seed website lately. Ya know we have the greenhouse and I can start plants out there. I planted four cherry pits last night in little pots...we will see what happens. A cherry tree would actually be pretty cool.
We will have the last of the Christmas ham to go with the meal. I guess it is pretty simple here at my house. I don't drink anymore and really can't even have a glass of champange...the gout thing again, so maybe I'll get some sparkling cider or something. I saw something about some kind of sparkling stuff that was all natural and sounded very tasty for kids on the Today show this morning. Right up my alley.
I'm thinking we will watch "Mama Mia" tonight. I got the dvd for Christmas and that will be a fun way to spend the evening. I don't feel like having friends in and they probably don't want to be around with me whining around about my shoulder or wrist or whatever is bothering me....my shoulder has been so bad the past few days I've had to wear my hubby's shirt that buttons up the front so I don't have to try and raise my arm. I have to get into my doc's office next week to discuss the possibility of drug induced gout and/or the drugs to reduce the uric acid...blah blah blah.
I hope you all have a wonderful fun evening and if you go out and drink, call a cab to drive you home! That is something you do not want to have to live with....hurting someone else or yourself. I want you to be around so I can read your blogs and have fun with ya. I don't think they let you have a computer and the internet in prison and all. Take care, my dear friends better days are coming...I just know it. So get out the confetti and streamers and noise makers and have a blast...I'll probably be asleep before midnight...we are such a wild bunch around here.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
bumming
It has been a few lazy days of resting from the madness and rushing to get ready for Christmas. It has been so nice to rest and not worry about anything. Quilly has introduced me to Iz and I swear I'm going to be back to the islands soon what with the surf documentarys and Iz singing, my heart is longing for them.
What a beautiful and happy soft voice.
What a beautiful and happy soft voice.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
relapse
well, I'm back just to report my hand is hurting again. We just got back from the Care Now emergency clinic (my doc is out of town this week) and the doc at the clinic is sure I have gout in my hand. It is very painful to type, so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. He said it would be several days for this to resolve itself.
Friday, December 19, 2008
recovery
Yesterday I had surgery on my toe and hopefully it will be in good shape by Christmas day. Good thing I have a good assortment of Crocs to wear over the next week or so. I have an appointment to go back for check up exam on the 29th. My doc had given me some heavy duty antibiotics so I got a head start on that part. We spent the afternoon watching movies and resting up for the holidays. I finally got to see "Wally-E" and then last night we watched "Get Smart". Steve Carrell was as funny as Don Adams was in the original. We used to watch that show every week and both of us laughed like crazy last night.
Quilly, it might have been a rabbit trail, but my mind works like that a lot, especially when I'm sick or hurting. The knitting group needs the large table, because we like to sit together to talk and visit while we are knitting. And having the big one is just the way we like it. It is big enough for our projects and there is a good light over the table so we can see to knit. And there is only one table that is large enough for all of us.
Speaking of knitting, I've finished the ribbon scarf and put some cool plastic beads on the ends and started on a scarf for my hubby. On our anniversary, while we were out, we had to make a little stop at Hobby Lobby to buy the beads for my scarf. I asked hubby to pick a yarn for the scarf I wanted to make him for our anniversary. He did and actually we had a 40% off coupon so it didn't cost that much. I'm making it in a basketweave stitch and I think it is the coolest pattern. I'll try to get some pictures.
Thank you for those of who left condolences in the comments. It has been a terrible couple of years for losing our friends, but I guess it is to be expected when we get a little older. I can't replace those who have died, but I guess making new friends is a good thing, too. I've found I don't have enough friends to lose any of them. No matter how many we have they are all precious.
Quilly, it might have been a rabbit trail, but my mind works like that a lot, especially when I'm sick or hurting. The knitting group needs the large table, because we like to sit together to talk and visit while we are knitting. And having the big one is just the way we like it. It is big enough for our projects and there is a good light over the table so we can see to knit. And there is only one table that is large enough for all of us.
Speaking of knitting, I've finished the ribbon scarf and put some cool plastic beads on the ends and started on a scarf for my hubby. On our anniversary, while we were out, we had to make a little stop at Hobby Lobby to buy the beads for my scarf. I asked hubby to pick a yarn for the scarf I wanted to make him for our anniversary. He did and actually we had a 40% off coupon so it didn't cost that much. I'm making it in a basketweave stitch and I think it is the coolest pattern. I'll try to get some pictures.
Thank you for those of who left condolences in the comments. It has been a terrible couple of years for losing our friends, but I guess it is to be expected when we get a little older. I can't replace those who have died, but I guess making new friends is a good thing, too. I've found I don't have enough friends to lose any of them. No matter how many we have they are all precious.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
more loss
I just don't have anything humorous to say tonight.
I found out by email yesterday that another of my friends died last Sunday. Bless her heart she had suffered for a long time from cancer. The week before another friend had died from lung cancer. Evelyn's illness was much shorter and even though they made an announcement at the City Council meeting last week, by the time I saw the notice in the paper I'd missed the service. It has been a difficult year with so many friends passing, even though their deaths weren't unexpected it has been a loss and life will be different. Barbara's memorial won't be for several weeks. I guess she was thoughtful of us all even to the end and didn't want to interupt the Christmas season. Even though it is our anniversary tomorrow we may go to the high school get together we attend each month. Barbara attended high school with my husband, but I met her when I was attending the community college and we discovered our mutual "friend" one day while talking between classes.
The knitting group party was very nice. There were a few ladies I'd not met before, and it was good to get to know them. The food was good, the company amiable, and the home warm. However, we decided someone is just going to have to get to Panera's early when we meet there so we can have the big table with the good light from now on.
Just like Texas weather....it started to lightly rain about the time I had to leave and then there was freezing rain later. I had no trouble with the roads last night though. However, it was pretty bad in other areas and they are predicting freezing fog for the whole area tonight. I made it to my doc's office today to get him to prescribe some antibiotics for an ingrown toenail and to refer me to a podiatrist. I go Thursday. By then the weather will be warm again.
I found out by email yesterday that another of my friends died last Sunday. Bless her heart she had suffered for a long time from cancer. The week before another friend had died from lung cancer. Evelyn's illness was much shorter and even though they made an announcement at the City Council meeting last week, by the time I saw the notice in the paper I'd missed the service. It has been a difficult year with so many friends passing, even though their deaths weren't unexpected it has been a loss and life will be different. Barbara's memorial won't be for several weeks. I guess she was thoughtful of us all even to the end and didn't want to interupt the Christmas season. Even though it is our anniversary tomorrow we may go to the high school get together we attend each month. Barbara attended high school with my husband, but I met her when I was attending the community college and we discovered our mutual "friend" one day while talking between classes.
The knitting group party was very nice. There were a few ladies I'd not met before, and it was good to get to know them. The food was good, the company amiable, and the home warm. However, we decided someone is just going to have to get to Panera's early when we meet there so we can have the big table with the good light from now on.
Just like Texas weather....it started to lightly rain about the time I had to leave and then there was freezing rain later. I had no trouble with the roads last night though. However, it was pretty bad in other areas and they are predicting freezing fog for the whole area tonight. I made it to my doc's office today to get him to prescribe some antibiotics for an ingrown toenail and to refer me to a podiatrist. I go Thursday. By then the weather will be warm again.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
On hands, and cold fronts, and quieter times
I've been slacking in the blogging department lately. I did something to my wrist and my hand did not like it at all. The other night I woke and couldn't open my hand and it was extremely painful. That was last Thursday or Friday and today is the first day it has been almost back to normal. Not having the use of a hand is a real drag and a half, but so much better than not having a hand at all. Always have to look at the brighter side. Anyway, that is why there has been limited posts of late. Typing was just a shade out of my range for a few days, but copy/paste was sort of not that painful.
Today was the last of the beautiful warm days for a while. There is a cold front blowing in as I type this. I used this warm day to finish our Christmas shopping and to not have to get out in the blowing cold wind and possible freezing rain this week. I wanted to get a few new clothes for me for the get togethers we will be attending. Today I could finally dress myself again after the dismal days of not being able to use my hand.
My knitting group is having a little get together tomorrow night and it will be frosty cold for it. It will be good to see them again. Last Monday we had the neighborhood association meeting so I missed seeing the socks one lady swore she was going to finish and wear to the next meeting. Hopefully she will wear them to our party. If I got a pair made I'd bother people to look at them all the time. I don't think socks are going to be on my list for a while, though. The party protocol is for each member to go into their yarn stash and bring something as a gift. My yarn stash is not as deep as theirs, but I do have the hand dyed yarn I bought at the trunk show this past fall and I think that would make one of them a lovely gift. Speaking of yarn, my youngest daughter was here yesterday and looked at the scarf I made from ribbon yarn. The yarn on the bottom right is the one I used. It is pretty and she did want it; however, I made that scarf for myself. I was going to give it to her, but I made her a couple of really nice scarves for Christmas. I hope she likes them and if she finds the ribbon yarn on sale like I did, I'll make her one like mine. I was going by Hobby Lobby for some beads for the fringe today after leaving the mall, but they are closed on Sundays. Actually, I like that...it is a reminder of a kinder, gentler time when all stores closed on Sundays. And stores really closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas and if you didn't get everything you needed you were out of luck or over at your neighbor's house asking to borrow, because the grocery stores and convience stores were closed up tighter than a drum. Those were the days of lazy Sundays, because hardly anything other than restaurants was open. They were called "blue laws" and have long since gone by the wayside in my fast paced city. Truly it has been about 30 years since department stores have been allowed to open on Sundays. Car dealerships still cannot open on Sundays for some reason. I think it was a good thing to have time set aside for families. Every Sunday we visited family and every Sunday night we watched the Wonderful World of Disney after watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. We all loved that show and Marlin Perkins would send Jim into the swamp or jungle after one gnarly creature or another and nearly get him killed each and every week. The link above has some nostalgia, if you remember the program. I think Jim has it now.
The other morning when the pain in my hand woke me at 1:30am and I couldn't get back to sleep I got up to watch tv. "Becoming Jane" was on and even though I'd seen it before I really enjoyed seeing it again that morning. James McAvoy has captured my heart recently and Anne Hathaway is such a beautiful woman. Maggie Smith is wonderful, as usual. Julie Walters has some really great lines in the movie. She was so good in "Billy Elliot", which I have seen again recently, as well. And thank you, Kate, over at Shambles Manor in Scotland for setting me straight as to which part of the UK he came from.
I haven't decided what to bring as my food offering to the party tomorrow night, but think Costco or Sam's will be involved in my decision about bringing something to go with sandwiches. I'm pretty sure a bag of chips, although great with a sammy, is not what these ladies have in mind when bringing a side dish. We need dessert for sure, you know. My sister was pretty sure they have pecan tassies at Sam's. I hope so. Shopping sort of messed up my hand today again. Not bad, but it would have been better if I'd stayed home with my hands in my lap. However, Judy at "Living On the Other Side of the Hill" has some fab recipies in her Southern Kitchen blog. If you ever feel a little down, just pop over to Judy's for some fun and great attitude. She is a great gal, and has some snappy music, too. I stopped by Quilly's to ask about the waves on the North Shore this afternoon, but when I looked it up they were only 4-5 feet. There was a surfing documentary on. I've never surfed or wished to do so, but love the documentaries about the places, the waves and the surfers. Today it was "Riding Giants", but the first one to get me was "Endless Summer". When "Step Into Liquid" came along it was great, too. Just watch this 'tis pretty freakin' awesome.
Today was the last of the beautiful warm days for a while. There is a cold front blowing in as I type this. I used this warm day to finish our Christmas shopping and to not have to get out in the blowing cold wind and possible freezing rain this week. I wanted to get a few new clothes for me for the get togethers we will be attending. Today I could finally dress myself again after the dismal days of not being able to use my hand.
My knitting group is having a little get together tomorrow night and it will be frosty cold for it. It will be good to see them again. Last Monday we had the neighborhood association meeting so I missed seeing the socks one lady swore she was going to finish and wear to the next meeting. Hopefully she will wear them to our party. If I got a pair made I'd bother people to look at them all the time. I don't think socks are going to be on my list for a while, though. The party protocol is for each member to go into their yarn stash and bring something as a gift. My yarn stash is not as deep as theirs, but I do have the hand dyed yarn I bought at the trunk show this past fall and I think that would make one of them a lovely gift. Speaking of yarn, my youngest daughter was here yesterday and looked at the scarf I made from ribbon yarn. The yarn on the bottom right is the one I used. It is pretty and she did want it; however, I made that scarf for myself. I was going to give it to her, but I made her a couple of really nice scarves for Christmas. I hope she likes them and if she finds the ribbon yarn on sale like I did, I'll make her one like mine. I was going by Hobby Lobby for some beads for the fringe today after leaving the mall, but they are closed on Sundays. Actually, I like that...it is a reminder of a kinder, gentler time when all stores closed on Sundays. And stores really closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas and if you didn't get everything you needed you were out of luck or over at your neighbor's house asking to borrow, because the grocery stores and convience stores were closed up tighter than a drum. Those were the days of lazy Sundays, because hardly anything other than restaurants was open. They were called "blue laws" and have long since gone by the wayside in my fast paced city. Truly it has been about 30 years since department stores have been allowed to open on Sundays. Car dealerships still cannot open on Sundays for some reason. I think it was a good thing to have time set aside for families. Every Sunday we visited family and every Sunday night we watched the Wonderful World of Disney after watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. We all loved that show and Marlin Perkins would send Jim into the swamp or jungle after one gnarly creature or another and nearly get him killed each and every week. The link above has some nostalgia, if you remember the program. I think Jim has it now.
The other morning when the pain in my hand woke me at 1:30am and I couldn't get back to sleep I got up to watch tv. "Becoming Jane" was on and even though I'd seen it before I really enjoyed seeing it again that morning. James McAvoy has captured my heart recently and Anne Hathaway is such a beautiful woman. Maggie Smith is wonderful, as usual. Julie Walters has some really great lines in the movie. She was so good in "Billy Elliot", which I have seen again recently, as well. And thank you, Kate, over at Shambles Manor in Scotland for setting me straight as to which part of the UK he came from.
I haven't decided what to bring as my food offering to the party tomorrow night, but think Costco or Sam's will be involved in my decision about bringing something to go with sandwiches. I'm pretty sure a bag of chips, although great with a sammy, is not what these ladies have in mind when bringing a side dish. We need dessert for sure, you know. My sister was pretty sure they have pecan tassies at Sam's. I hope so. Shopping sort of messed up my hand today again. Not bad, but it would have been better if I'd stayed home with my hands in my lap. However, Judy at "Living On the Other Side of the Hill" has some fab recipies in her Southern Kitchen blog. If you ever feel a little down, just pop over to Judy's for some fun and great attitude. She is a great gal, and has some snappy music, too. I stopped by Quilly's to ask about the waves on the North Shore this afternoon, but when I looked it up they were only 4-5 feet. There was a surfing documentary on. I've never surfed or wished to do so, but love the documentaries about the places, the waves and the surfers. Today it was "Riding Giants", but the first one to get me was "Endless Summer". When "Step Into Liquid" came along it was great, too. Just watch this 'tis pretty freakin' awesome.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Fireman Sex
FIREMAN SEX
A FIREMAN came home from work one day and
told his wife, 'You know, we have a wonderful system at
the fire station:
BELL 1 rings and we all put on our jackets,
BELL 2 rings and we all slide down the pole,
BELL 3 rings and we're on the fire truck ready to go.
'From now on
when I say BELL 1'
I want you to strip naked.
When I say BELL 2
I want you to
jump in bed.
And when I say
BELL 3
We are going to make love all night.
' The next night he came home from work and yelled
' BELL 1!' The wife promptly took all her clothes off.
When he yelled 'BELL 2!',
the wife jumped into bed.
When he yelled 'BELL 3!',
they began making love.
After a few minutes the
wife yelled 'BELL 4!'
'What the hell is BELL 4?' asked the husband?
'ROLL OUT MORE HOSE,' she replied
'YOU'RE NOWHERE NEAR THE FIRE!!!!!'
We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey. Happy Sunday.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Open It and Enjoy It!
This gadget is the BEST one I've ever owned. Our daughter gave it to us last Christmas and it is fabulous. I'm giving it to various family members this year. It was just used it to get into the most difficult packaging ever, a weather station from The Weather Channel, and it was a challenge even with the Open It. Click on that link and see it in all its glory. It is such a feeling of domination to get into the crazy packaging the manufacturers love these days. Mwahaha!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Baby, it's cold outside
Oh man it is COLD here today!! We went shopping this morning and when we came out of Sam's it was blowing like crazy and very much cooler. Right now it is very cold and they are saying there might be a possibility of snow flurries. The bad part of all this is I said I'd attend a City Council meeting tonight. *shiver* It wouldn't be so bad, but the wind is very strong, too.
It is 11:30pm and we are back from the council meeting and when we left to go downtown it was sleeting. I just checked the weather and it snowed in Dallas....durnit. It wouldn't stick, because it has been so warm, but really we should have gotten the big fluffy snow and not them. Now I'm off to sleep.
It is 11:30pm and we are back from the council meeting and when we left to go downtown it was sleeting. I just checked the weather and it snowed in Dallas....durnit. It wouldn't stick, because it has been so warm, but really we should have gotten the big fluffy snow and not them. Now I'm off to sleep.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
On being thoughtful of others
Yesterday I attended a meeting at the home of a family with a cold and one of the other board members brought his son who had just recovered from strep throat. Thank you one and all of my neighborhood association board members. Ya coulda said something. I'm still trying to decide whether to go buy some Zicam or not. I did get a flu shot and it has been long enough for it to be effective, so but there is no vaccine against colds or strep.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Here Comes The Sun
Here is a slideshow of the sunrise in Port Aransas...one of the few times I was up before dawn and had a clear view of the sunrise. Gel had posted on about getting pictures of their sunrise yesterday. Gel has a fancy schmancy camera and probably has far better pictures, but my little camera is like the Little Engine that Could. It tries hard and so far I'm learning it pretty well....the photo challenges this summer helped my learning curve.
You will probably need to click on "View Pictures" button, and you will. Here is hoping you enjoy our sunrise. Maybe someday I'll get the hang of the slideshow deal at Photobucket.
You will probably need to click on "View Pictures" button, and you will. Here is hoping you enjoy our sunrise. Maybe someday I'll get the hang of the slideshow deal at Photobucket.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Livin' large
Today has been so much fun!
After the Thanksgiving bonaza this past week, and the knitting group meeting at Panaera's I was feeling pretty darn fat even though I'm thinking the cream at Panera's was not good that night. Yesterday was pretty darn rough and I'm pretty sure that was what it was it, unless I picked up a virus while Christmas shopping on Monday. However, this morning just a beautiful morning and I decided to go work out. I'd have to reinstate my membership at our rec center, but that is not a big deal. I looked on the web to find out their hours and which days are best. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday they are open all day and until late. I was halfway there when I realized it was Wednesday and I'd have to go home and wait for them to open at 1pm. By that time hubby was back home and decided to go with me. I paid his fee to reinstate him, too. I'm the big spender today.
We did cardio and didn't overdo....only 30 minutes. I'm sort of sore a little tonight from that, but will soldier on. After leaving the gym we went by the guy who sells produce on the corner to buy some turnips, but he was out of them, but we bought some lovely tomatoes that are gigantic. After a trip to Kroger to pick up a few things it was off to home.
While we were working out one of our fantastic Texas cold fronts came through and has dropped the temps about 40 degrees so far and is supposed to get to 32 tonight. We covered the last of the tomatoes, but if they don't freeze tonight they will tomorrow night. It is supposed to be much colder then. I'll bring them in tomorrow morning and make fried green tomatoes. Oh yes, the wind has been blowing like crazy all week and now it is blowing out of the north as hard as it blew out of the south.
For dinner we roasted some root vegetables and made some hamburger steaks. We had a couple of turnips and an acorn squash to put in the roasted veg. I'd never done that before, but it was really good. Acorn squashes are very hard to cut up. Aie aie aie
We rented Prince Caspian tonight and thought it pretty good. A little different, but still powerful. Tilda Swinson was wonderfully evil and the rest well, it was pretty darn good.
I'm off to sleep now. Tomorrow is the lunch with the girls day again. The knitting group party is the 15th. I need to get Jillian from The Biggest Loser to brow beat me into 8 hours of workout a day to get some lard off, but will probably just do what I can when I can.
That's how we live large around here...spas, gourmet dinners, new movies, prospect of a good sleep and warm covers. It is good.
After the Thanksgiving bonaza this past week, and the knitting group meeting at Panaera's I was feeling pretty darn fat even though I'm thinking the cream at Panera's was not good that night. Yesterday was pretty darn rough and I'm pretty sure that was what it was it, unless I picked up a virus while Christmas shopping on Monday. However, this morning just a beautiful morning and I decided to go work out. I'd have to reinstate my membership at our rec center, but that is not a big deal. I looked on the web to find out their hours and which days are best. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday they are open all day and until late. I was halfway there when I realized it was Wednesday and I'd have to go home and wait for them to open at 1pm. By that time hubby was back home and decided to go with me. I paid his fee to reinstate him, too. I'm the big spender today.
We did cardio and didn't overdo....only 30 minutes. I'm sort of sore a little tonight from that, but will soldier on. After leaving the gym we went by the guy who sells produce on the corner to buy some turnips, but he was out of them, but we bought some lovely tomatoes that are gigantic. After a trip to Kroger to pick up a few things it was off to home.
While we were working out one of our fantastic Texas cold fronts came through and has dropped the temps about 40 degrees so far and is supposed to get to 32 tonight. We covered the last of the tomatoes, but if they don't freeze tonight they will tomorrow night. It is supposed to be much colder then. I'll bring them in tomorrow morning and make fried green tomatoes. Oh yes, the wind has been blowing like crazy all week and now it is blowing out of the north as hard as it blew out of the south.
For dinner we roasted some root vegetables and made some hamburger steaks. We had a couple of turnips and an acorn squash to put in the roasted veg. I'd never done that before, but it was really good. Acorn squashes are very hard to cut up. Aie aie aie
We rented Prince Caspian tonight and thought it pretty good. A little different, but still powerful. Tilda Swinson was wonderfully evil and the rest well, it was pretty darn good.
I'm off to sleep now. Tomorrow is the lunch with the girls day again. The knitting group party is the 15th. I need to get Jillian from The Biggest Loser to brow beat me into 8 hours of workout a day to get some lard off, but will probably just do what I can when I can.
That's how we live large around here...spas, gourmet dinners, new movies, prospect of a good sleep and warm covers. It is good.
Monday, December 1, 2008
How much technology do we need?
This guy has it figured out and what he says is so true. We do live in an amazing world.
I saw this over at Don't Try This at Home yesterday and wanted to share it with you guys.
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