Company

We had company over the holidays and it was a treat to have a house full of family and friends at different times. Jennifer came from D.C. and spent three days with us and visiting with Rebecca. Jen was babysitter to Rebecca when she was a baby! It was fun to see Jen with Becky's two kidos. Unfortunately, Maddie was under the weather almost the entire holiday time, as she came down with an ear infection and had a pretty miserable and uncomfortable time. The two little one's did enjoy having another person to talk to and play with though and Jen was happy to oblige.

We didn't do the mad Friday shopping thing as reported on TV and in the paper, opting instead to spend the time here at home, or as in Jen's case, exercising. Tom took Jen to the gym twice, and I took care of Maddie one morning while Becky had to work. In all it was a low key time, with plenty of eating, talking and just being together.

Jen and I had a great time looking at recipe's and talking about the people we remember from Panama. She has a better recollection, though I have to remember that it was her part of her childhood, (where memories are made), and I was in the throes of raising two little kids. Not exactully the same thing! Anyhow, we swapped memories and recipes and Jen even cooked up an Italian dish for one dinner after we had demolished all the turkey.

I was able to gift Jen with her Christmas Stocking, and she said, "it's about time I finally got one!" Anyhow, she is happy with the stocking, no matter how long it took her to get one. It is always fun to knit something for someone who appreciates it.

Today we are relaxing, as we will have more company tomorrow when Mary and Beth come for a few days.

Happy Thanksgiving to All

I hope each of you is mindful of the many blessings we have received. I love each of you so very much and am thankful for all the moments we have shared, as family and friends. Please know I will think of each of you tomorrow, and pray for God's blessings for each of you. Though your place at my table may not be filled, your presence will still be felt in my heart. God Bless each of you.

Happy Thanksgiving

Can you smell the love? I don't think anything says Thanksgiving to me more than pumpkin pie. I can hardly wait until tomorrow to have my first piece! The one in front is a mincemeat, which as a child I never liked. Funny how your taste changes as you get older. I love mincemeat now too! Add to this trio a chocolate pie that the neighbors brought over (the ones who were locked out on Saturday) and we have desert covered for tomorrow! We have ice cream and real whipped cream too!

I hope all my family in Texas has a wonderful day tomorrow. I wish we could all be together here in Virginia. I love you all and miss you so much! Hopefully we will be making that trip to Texas soon.

Sunday Morning

Things are pretty exciting here at home central. Last night Becky and the kiddo's came while Tom was at hockey. She, Zack and I cut out pumpkins for her Sunday morning CCD lesson - I think they still call it CCD. Anyhow, she also brought over the rug for my sewing room. (It was delivered to her house just in case we were out of town - Wishful thinking). Anyhow, the kids took baths and changed into their P.J.'s for the trip home and left about 8. While Eric was seeing them out, the neighbors next door came home and discovered they were locked out. So, we invited them over, goggled up a Locksmith on the computer (Who needs a phone book nowadays!) and sat and talked until he arrived!

This morning we will be on the coupon clipping routine, and also trying to figure out how many are coming for Thanksgiving Dinner. We know for sure the Edicolas are coming, and maybe Jennifer and perhaps Mary and Beth, with another possible friend of Toms. Since we have 8 chairs, and 6 plates it should be interesting! More news about that as it develops.

Notice in the sidebar two new links! One is to Quilts and Blankeys Sally's new crafting blog, and the second is Michelle's Web Cam! So far, lots of sleeping going on at the webcam! I'll try to make a cute button for their blogs, but it will have to be later.

Moving Ashore - At Last A Home On Land!

Moving Ashore - At Last A Home On Land! Today we have a new look!

90% off - You have to love it!

The doctor said I could have some "UP' time, so yesterday DH and I went out on errands. I sat in the car until we got to Michaels. You see, we had been there over the weekend briefly, and I saw Fall decorations I wanted, but my foot wasn't in the mood to shop. They were 75% off that day. So yesterday, after the appliance store and library we decided to stop by again since I felt better and my foot was happy.

Imagine my glee when I saw the signs now read - Fall decorations now 90% off! Well, then I really felt happy - I filled up a shopping cart and spent less than $10.00. I wanted something for the server in the Dining room, and also for another location. So here's the haul! Granted, I never passed flower decorating 101, but I think they turned out fine! And the price sure beat the ready made centerpieces the store had on sale.


and

and

I figure you can never have too may decorations, especially when none were more than 49 cents!

Déjà Vu

Well, you all remember this famous picture? A lot of cliches come to my mind like - "Been there - Done that"! Then there are songs like, "Play it again, Sam"! What ever phrase you choose, it's still the same song, just the second verse. 11 more days of enforced rest! Yikes! Though I have been given permission to cook dinner and to do light housekeeping, but no power shopping trips. Eric will at least finally get a break! The doctor got a good chuckle when I told him my husband had asked how much I had paid him (the doctor) to wrap up my foot the first time. There is some improvement, and the doc seems to think this extended rest will do the trick. I asked what happened next if it is not better next time and he said we'd have to see, maybe an MRI. I think he feels like it just needs a wee bit more time. Better safe than sorry, oops, sorry - another cliche!

Well, this is a surprise!

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Confused - but in good company

We continue to have pretty, sunny and nice weather, and it seems that since we are above normal (on the average 4 of the last six weeks) the ground is not as cold as it should be to make bulbs think it has been winter. As you can see, someone, and a lot of it's bulby friends, has decided to make an early appearance for spring. At this rate, when spring finally comes (after winter finally comes of course) the bulbs will have long since disappeared. Not the picture of garden color I anticipated!

On the home front, Z and M came yesterday for the afternoon while Becky stayed home to pack for their trip to Florida. They left for a week this morning at 5:30 a.m. - yep, kind of early, especially for Becky and Tom! The kids and I cooked banana bread from scratch. Z was in charge of squishing bananas and mixing. Maddie helped butter the loaf pan. She loves to eat butter, I wonder where she got that from? (I remember eating butter!) Anyhow, the mixmaster was fascinating to Zack and the finished result was eaten and enjoyed by all - except DH of course, who doesn't eat bananas or nuts! I sent a large slice home with Tom for a late night or early morning snack and I enjoyed a nice piece with my morning coffee.

Come on over, there is plenty for company!

The Un-Wall Unit

Don't you feel a bit sorry for us?

Furniture Snafu

We waited most of the day yesterday, until nearly 3 pm in fact, for the furniture truck to arrive. We were excited, as we were expecting the 5 piece unit that will span the living room wall and hold all the boxes and gizmos associated with TV. Not to mention of course, the TV itself. I have really looked forward to getting the television up off the floor. We unplugged about 100 cables and wires and labeled them (well more like 30) and moved all the boxes out of the way. We measured and placed tape on the carpet so the delivery men would know where to begin the first piece. We were ready! Well prepared as good scouts.

First in the house were the two chairs for the dining room that didn't pass muster the first delivery. Next came the leather ottoman and then leather chair. Lovely! Finally they brought in the first of the 5 pieces, an end cabinet and right away I saw a split in the top of the side trim. Eric agreed it was not acceptable and went out to the truck to tell the guys, and by then they had unwrapped the center unit. Unfortunately it had a huge gash along the back of one side. Looked like a strap from a dolly had crunched it. It never even got unloaded off the truck. They looked at two of the other pieces, and found damage to them also, and so it all went back. Boo Hoo.

In the big scheme of things, it's not awful, but it sure is annoying. The chair by the way is as comfortable as we remembered and looks feels (and smells) wonderful. Silly has already decided she likes it, as she can lay on me while I stretch out my legs. We spent the evening admiring the blank wall and commenting on how well the new wall unit blended into the room. Looks like it almost isn't even there!

View from the window

View
Originally uploaded by Joanna Root.

Here the view out the sewing room window where I am spending my time knitting, reading, watching TV, cat petting, etc .... you have the idea! At least the weather is wonderful and the trees are beautiful. Seems everyday the color is getting more intense. The weather people say the color will be at it's peak here in a couple weeks. SInce we are having indian summer here, it's quite nice outside. I wish I could be out there digging in the dirt. That's all I have to say today, so don't click to read more!

I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this!

I met the podiatrist this morning. He was very congenial, a bit older than I, very distinguished looking with a full head of white hair and a white beard. Funny, my podiatrist in Lufkin had a beard too. Don't think it is a requirement, do you? I liked him a lot and he seemed very competent. The office was fairly busy, but he took plenty of time with me, almost an hour. I had x-rays made and of course his exam. He diagnosed heel spurs on both feet, with the left being the worse. He prescribed a NSAID, Lodine for me to take daily. I was glad to get a new prescription, because the one's I have been taking for the last month are more than expired. Anyhow, he seemed to think the NSAID would help, but this would help even more.

To say this was a surprise was an understatement. He put on something called an Unna Boot, which from what I gathered reading more about it on the Internet is not the shoe thing but the compression bandages underneath. The real kicker is that I have to wear this thing for 12 days and stay off my feet. Showers in a plastic bag! Oh boy!

Baking Halloween Treats

The grandchildren came to bake cookie for Halloween. I decided to do this the easy way and used pre-cut shaped sugar cookies. It turned out to be a good decision, as there were just enough cookies and the project was finished in under an hour. Of course I have pictures of the bake-off ....

Zack studies the challenge at hand - he decided I should separate the cookie from the paper, and he would place them on the cookie tray.

The next challenge was waiting for them to come out of the oven ....

Waiting around - or waiting on the floor while waving our foot around!

Next came decorating. Maddie has phone in hand in case we need to call for help! This was before she put on her apron and decided to lend a hand.

In the end she became the precision sprinkler. Zack did frosting, Maddie did sprinkles. And were they good?

This was his third cookie, so I guess they passed the taste test.