Coffee and...Part 6 :-D

We're a yackety group, aren't we? :-)
I'm having WAY too much fun (and collecting GREAT ideas for 'goodies') that I just can't close the door yet.

Of course our door is *always* open to anyone who cares to drop in and sit a spell, If you have any special goodies to share, just put 'em on the counter with the rest of our absolutely, positively, NO-cal supply! We'd Love to taste them! :-)

~julie~

thanks to darius for letting me know I missed the 6th page of this thread has been continued. She and I are expecting an ice storm again tonight and hoping we don't lose electricity. It looks like the motel where we will all stay is the Comfort Inn in Forsyth. I will post more about this on the details thread.

Yeah, I'm not looking happily at the weather forecast, and if y'all don't see me tomorrow, it's likely a power loss. I still need to find an old phone that's hard-wired, not portable, because those usually will still work in a power outage as long as the phone lins are intact.

edit: Betty, most of these folks have no clue about the details for the GARU since they live all over the country... LOL.

This message was edited Feb 2, 2005 6:55 PM

I made Cherry pie guys - any one care for a slice? I'll have some of that coffee to go with mine please.
DH has a curry in the oven for supper so musn't get too full, the house smells wonderfully curried right now.
Kooger I sympathise! Reminds me of the day, 2 weeks after we moved in to a brand new house, that DH lost the bottom out of a wine carrier on the way in from the gracery store. You wouldn't beleive how far 6 bottles of wine can spread when they smash. Of course they were litre bottles and the wine was red!!
We did get the colour out but used 4lb of salt in the process!
It is still pretty cool here but yesterdays forcast ice and snow didn't happen. - hope you others are as lucky tonight.
See you all later.
Carol

Thanks, Carol... I LOVE cherry pie. YUM! (And smart to have dessert first, LOL!)

I'd probably make one occasionally if I could make a decent pie crust. I hate store-bought pie shells and hate store-bought cherry pies even more.

Now Darius...those Pillsbury rolled out pie crusts in the dairy case is great...my DH couldn't tell the difference when I made two pies one time...one my recipe and one the "boughten"...I agree on the frozrn crusts in the foil pans though.

Some of you that were with me in chat has heard of the TERRIBLE mess I made of an Oatmeal Cake...It was for the lunch I was to provide to the Widowed Support Center today... I had put it in a Bundt pan instead of a sheet cake pan....it stuck to the pan so BAD!,,,I dug it out in little chunks...arranged them on a plate, and poured the brown sugar glaze that I had waiting all over it. I told them it was called a "Shipwreck Cake"...They ate it and loved it. I had already clued my girl friend about it and when I asked "has anyone heard of a Ship Wreck Cake
...she spoke up right away with "OH I like that cake...don't you pour brown sugar glaze over it?" LOL Day Saved!!....maybe ti was the ice cream on the side that did it.....

It is turning chilly here...only got up to about 45 today...but it is supposed to last only about 3 days. I hope! Jo

Anyone for Ship Wreck Cake??

Oh JO!! LOL How funny!!! Shipwreck cake, yes, I'd love some, right after I polish off a piece of that cherry pie! Isn't it good that these treats are so calorie free! We had real food for dinner tonight, rummaged around in the freezer and found some Popeye's chicken , baked a couple of potatoes, and sliced up some fresh carrots and frozen peas for a veggie. There sure wasn't much chicken on that chicken....mostly breading and bones, but it was nice to have a hot meal that wasn't soup. I like soup but after four days of mostly soup and juice I was looking forward to something chewable. And I'd sell one of my kids for a real vine ripened warm from the sun tomato!!

Julie,that rustic bread isn't so pretty, but it sure goes good with butter! Next time I make it, I'm going to make one big oblong loaf and see how it turns out. Goes good with almost any meal. Now you have me hungry for cherry pie! I always have that cherry pie filling handy because one of DH's fave desserts is that hideous dump cake, (you know can of pineapple, can cherry pie filling, melted oleo , coconut, pecans and cake mix all dumped in a pan) although real pie cherries would be much better. One of our markets sells Door County cherries frozen , and it wouldn't be much of a trip to go get them. Maybe tomorrow.

Kooger, I think we've all done one of those washer overflow disasters at least once. I did it right after we moved in to our new house, the laundry room is 'tween the kitchen and the garage, next to the basement stairs. I had Niagara Falls going on from the wash cycle to the rinse....something had fallen into the stationary tub and blocked the drain and I was blissfully unaware . We had stuff stored under the stairs too, and everything got soaked.........yuuck what a mess!! Flushed out all the loose sawdust the carpenters left though, and a couple of very surprised mice who thought they found a wonderful winter home!! Yeah, yeah, we have five cats. Cats are supposed to catch mice. Our cats do not stoop to manual labor, that's for the bipeds. They will watch them however.

I did pretty good today, accomplished a few minor chores, but around 1:30 I had to go lie down and rest for a while when I ran out of gas. Still feel 500% better though. See y'all in the morning, failing power outages and date offers from fabulous movie stars. In other words, if George Clooney calls me, you guys can just hang out until I get back. SNort!!!!

Back again, cherry pie sounds good with a cup of herb tea so I can sleep. I didn't get the rhubarb cobbler together, but now that I have the rhubard thawed out I have to do it. Tomorrow sounds better than tonight.

Today was beautiful and got up to the upper 40's so I grabbed a horse and went for a ride out in the hills. It is so peaceful out there, no people, no cows this time of year, no deer today although I do see them often. The rabbits are all hiding from the hawks, snakes are still in their dens for the next 3 or 4 months, no bugs either. Just me and the horse.

Yep, I have done the washer flood thing. Ours happened when the machine got out of balance and walked over the plastic pipe with the cold water comming in, and come in it did, joyously! Well, the floor needed cleaning anyhow but not that badly!

Meezers your remark about the cats not doing manual labor reminded me of this picture. I baited this trap with peaunt butter and caught 2 curious youngsters with one snap, something that doesn't happen often so I thought I would get a picture. I parked the mouse trap on the sidewalk and went to get the camera, and when I came back the inspectors were there. That's Newt and Sweetie Pie. To his credit I must say that Newt caught a mouse today.

Awww, shucks, Mary... I was looking forward to trying rhubarb, don't know as I have ever had any! Well, tomorrow is another day and I can anticipate! (Love the mousies photo)

Darius, when Lisa visited me last summer we picked rhubarb and made a cobbler because she had never tasted rhubarb either, and thought it was very good. Of course we had it warm with ice cream on it. I make it with brown sugar and cornstarch mixed with the rhubarb, and topped with butter, oatmeal, and brown sugar that gets nice and crunchy.

Mary, my mother grew rhubarb in her later retirement but productive years, I was just never there to try any. I understand that it's best young and not fit to eat when old. Yes?

Rhubarb is great anyway you shape it. We cut 5 gal. buckets full to sell to the bakery in town when I was a kid. Rhubarb juice, rhubarb cobbler, rhubarb custard pie......... oh spring, where are you? We always picked anything but the huge stalks, but I don't know if it was for taste, or just the difficulty of cutting it or maybe the preservation of the plant. As a general rule, few pick after July 1, in order for the plant to thrive. We were always taught to pull the flower stalks too. Funny how you never questions these things, just do them like you have done since you were a child. lol (I thought EVERYBODY grew rhubarb. Does it not do well further south?)

YUM - love cherry pie. We have a tart cherry tree out back and many years just let the birds eat the cherries. Last year I picked a huge bucket, , cooked them down and strained them for juice. The juice was great!! (supposed to be good for arthritis too) Can't wait for next year- I'm gonna do up a huge batch.

Have 5 rhubarb plants here- never do much with those either!! Old neighbor guy comes over and takes all he wants for rhubarb sauce. I'm too lazy to make a pie - so if ya want any rhubarb, come on over!! Have made rhubarb crunch and it's yummy, but no one eats it but me and it all manages to land on my butt.

Done the washer thing here too! Carpeting all soaked and it wicked up our rough sawn wall boards and left a nasty stain -In fact it has happened more than once here!!! I always stay home when the washer/dryer are working (had a dryer catch on fire once too!!)

Past few days have been so cloudy and gloomy here, plus I am bummed that I won't be going to Fla (stupid sister's fault) - just feeling sorry for myself. I need something to look forward to during this time of the year - heck, I'm not even getting enough garden catalogs!! whoa is me....

Good grief I only left at 1PM yesterday and look at all I missed!!

OK - first off, Julie I will try to dig a couple J.A.'s the weekend and cook them to let you know if they are worth it! I don't think you should buy any though b/c I probably have a TON. At least the catalog said they were 'prolific' hope the didn't really mean invasive! LOL

Anyway, we just got rain here last night - yea!!! That will free up my bed for digging this weekend too.

I love Newt! He's a huge guy isn't he? In my previous life my 2 cats were well - not pulling their weight in that area either lol!

I still have my cough and my Dr. yesterday didn't prescribe a thing! Oh well, guess I'll hit CVS - to her credit though she's an OB. OH and guess what folks! I am now old enough for my very first mammogram! Hooray! LOL!!! Well, at least I will know what all the jokes are about.

Darius, I cooked last night!!! Deer t-bones - had to broil them though b/c someone left the gas on on the grill.. Grr. Anyway, garlic, rosemary, etc. etc. Then roasted potatoes and kidney beans. It was good too! Now I'm on a kick and next free minute I'm going to go to the store and buy actual fruits and vegetables! LOL!!!

Take care all! Betty and Darius, hope you didn't get too much weather!

Nicole

Rhubarb!! My mother swore i loved rhubarb, I didn't. I detested it. She kept making it for us, and I think she was convinced if she just pursued it long enough, I would cave and admit that I liked it. It was considered a Spring Tonic when I was a sprout, certainly it has laxative qualities. It gets pretty tough and stringy when it gets older, so that's why it's picked young. The leaves are toxic, my sister and I used to kid about making our DHs rhubarb leaf pie with castor bean garnish if they misbehaved. Reminds me of that old country song, "If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him, I'd Be Out of Prison Now"

Mary, Newt is a handsome boy!! Congratulations on the mouse hunt! If mine ever did anything but stare at them I'd be shocked. Those little field mice try to get in in fall, so we've got those sticky traps around the inside of the doors to the garages and house. Don't even ask how often we've ended up with one of those stuck to a shoe!! I don't think any have gotten inside this year, but I did used to feel kind of bad for them when we first were here. We were invading their territory after all. Conversely, I don't feel that way at all about the ants, and I merrily boil/poison/annihilate them with nary a twitch.

No Florida Sarv? Boooooooooooo! Here I was looking forward to vicariously enjoying your trip. BAD sister. So we'll just sit here and be grouchy and pout.. we'll have to rely on Darius to provide sunshine reports. Hmmmm wonder if she's got power this morning... Here, let me make a fresh pot for anyone who drops in later, and would you eat up those cookies before I add any more to my hips?

I didn't care for rhubarb at first partly because it was too tart. But then everyone made it with strawberries, also tart. One day my mother-in-law made it with bananas instead of strawberries. It was heaven! Very smooth and not too tart. I may be able to bring some of that to the round-up if it's up and growing by then......
I made a comment that if everyone would check the GA RA "Details" thread, then they would know the details of the motel/hotel rooms in the area.

DO!! I've never tried Rhubarb! Can you grow it from seed? I know I've read it's toxic to parrots but that's the extent of my knowledge.

Nicole, I don't know if they are grown from seed, but if I'm lucky, I'll bring some. I got my from my in-laws house, but they are deceased and niece lives there. She let me have some last year. If she still has them, I will bring some more to the round-up because she is not tending them at all.

Cool!

Anybody home? Here is my rhubarb cobbler, still warm from the oven. It's such a beautiful day and I did find some new growth on some daylilies this morning. It was probably there yesterday and I missed it but that's ok.

My horses got shoes this morning and I'm going riding again but the wind is cold so I'll wear my stocking cap so I don't get an earache. The sun is bright, snow is melting more every day and it is all soaking in, nothing running off. We live in a very arid area, so from time to time you will hear me talking about the water or lack thereof. The pastures have green grass right next to snowdrifts and the horses are happily nibbling, probably just getting about a quarter inch per bite, but they love it and will leave their hay to go eat fresh grass.

My Newt cat weighs 15 and 1/2 pounds, maybe more, that was last fall. The yellow kitty weighs about 10 which is pretty big for a female. Both were strays and we had them fixed.

Well, I'm going riding, see you later. Save some cobbler for me, I'll be hungry when I get back.

Rhubarb - delicious! When I waqs little the biggest treat was a stick of young raw rhubarb and a small bowl of sugae dip the one in the other and chew then repeat. Grandpa grew the sweetest rhubarb ever - he said it was because he was never short of pig manure! - he was a pig farmer. Rhubarb and ginger jam is lovely too, and Rhubarb pie and ... Oh Gosh I've got to have some, I wonder will it grow in Texas?
That Newt is some cat - many dogs weigh less than that! Quite a fella isn't he.
Carol

Boy, I'm not sure getting a flu shot is the right thing to do for me. This is the first time I've ever gotten one (back in Nov.) and now it seems I'm always on the verge of getting sick. It never hits hard enough to do anything more than sit me back on my heels for one day. That's a good thing, right? :-D Yeah...except that I seem to be getting at least ONE of "those" days every week. LOL Yesterday was gorgeous but I didn't have energy to even get outside to enjoy it. And I certainly didn't enjoy 'it' being indoors either. (I'm whining, in case you hadn't noticed. BIG GRIN

I'm just going to say "Hi" to everyone and start a fresh pot of coffee.

Have a good day, all.

~julie~

So Julie are you telling me it's better to have gotten it over with all at once? Maybe so, I'm feeling so much better after spending the better part of the week feeling like something left over from a biker rally. (apologies to any well behaved riders...lol) Never did get a flu shot this year...but there's no guarantee that the shot gives you that much protection, in fact the older you are, the less likely you will be immunized for whatever particular bug is going around. Now I'm sure THAT made you feel a whole lot better.....!! Been pretty quiet in here the last couple of days. I'm going to put out a carrot cake later and see if it draws anything but flies. Pour me a cuppa, and let's polish off that cherry pie.

Yummy you that cooks!

I have never had a flu shot or the flu so don't have any words of wisdom.

I can NOT shake my cough - I can feel it in my lungs now. My son and I had a coughfest last night and I thought he might throw up from coughing last night! I am hitting CVS today for sure to see what they may have to help. I'm really tired of this - this is week number three!

Ya weekend!!! Had my Cert. Plantsman class last night. One of the landscapers heard me mention I wanted Sky Pencil Ilex and she brought one for me! :) I am going to keep it in a pot for now until I figure out what to do with it.

I am making soup this weekend too! I have been inspired by this thread! :)

Nicole

NIcole...that's the whole intent and purpose of this thread "inspiration!" (That and companionship so we don't go BERZERK waiting for spring! LOL)

M5...I'm one that would much rather get hit hard and be able to sleep *through* it than get little bits and pieces that make a person look like they're "acting" sick instead of *being* sick. HAHAHAhahaha...I think I'm still in the 'acting' stage.
:-D

That carrot cake sounds delicious! Are you going to put cream cheese frosting on mine? :-)

And who ate all that biscotti? I could sure use a couple of pieces of that with my coffee right about now. Maybe I'll just have a banana. There's more over there if you want one.

Oh...Eric took me to Wallyworld with him yesterday...*bad* mistake! :-D I got into the garden section, actually it was the houseplants, and come home with a *bunch* of Primroses that were marked WAAaaaaay down (pretty little things), some ivy, a cyclamen, and a polka dot plant. Oh and some ornamental kale seeds, basil, drawf curly parsley, some impatiens and Empress of India nasturtiums to plug in around my container plantings (a little trick I saw on T.V. the other day). Neat thing about the Empress is that it's heirloom and should come back true from saved seed.

M5...is that carrot cake ready yet? The banana just didn't take the edge off.

~julie~

Morning, GOB's... I'll have some fresh coffee, thanks Julie, and skip any more pie. May succumb to carrot cake later, even though I'm expanding my "spare tire" lately!

The sun is finally shining here, Yea!!!

I need to go to town, pick up my free meds from the Health Dept., grocery shop a little, and get enough birdseed for my unpaid handyman to fill my birdfeeders for the month I expect to be in Florida. Hope to leave sometime next week, just waiting on the final stages of my Medicaid application...

Just stopping in quickly for a cup of tea. Darius, the trip to Fla is on again? I just read something last night that you weren't able to go. I know plans can change quickly.

My hubby and I both had the flu a couple of years ago, I got it first and he was doing the horse feeding for me for a few days, then he started getting it, so I was dragging around doing chores again in bad weather, sitting down to rest on a hay bale every few minutes, get up and do some more, sit again. It took forever to get well. I've never had a flu shot but rarely get sick with anything. It must be the good immune system and lots of vitamins.

Carrot cake, Yummm, I'll be back...

Mary, it's Sarv who said she now cannot go to FL, not me.

whaaaaaa - don't remind me......I so want to go.... darn my cheapo sister...

Ohhh, I'm in hot water, sorry. I do need some for my tea tho. I'll just say I'm glad and sorry and you can put them in the appropriate places.

Today I had to make a trip to town, and since it was cold and windy I opted to stay in town awhile and check out a couple of 2nd thrift stores. Got a few goodies of course, a kitchen rag rug, a sheer shower curtain for 50 cents that I'll use in the greenhouse for helping shade things that can't handle bright sun, a denim bib type apron with pockets for 75 cents that will be useful at planting time to keep track of seed packets, etc., a clay flower pot for 25 cents, and the biggest treasure, a Better Homes and Gardens looseleaf gardening book with 446 pages of info and pictures for $1. I also browsed at an antique store that is trying to sell all sorts of things that I have thrown out, broken or lost track of at some time in my life for prices that are hard to believe. Didn't buy anything there.

I walked past a display of glad, dahlia, and that sort of blubs, got a package of 5 columbine in mixed colors, so I'll get 5 surprises this summer. Got to go pot those up, they are sprouting already in their bag of peat moss and they probably need to be in soil. Oh, and speaking of sprouts, my daylilies are starting to show a tiny bit of new growth and a few daffys are up about 1 inch. That's exciting!

Back later.

Okay, this isn't the "proper" place for this but I got this joke from Lizh tonight and laughed so hard I almost wet my pants. I've emailed it to a couple of you for whom I have email addresses, but this is for the rest because I just HAD to share it with my friends! (Changed some language with hopes it doesn't offend the Acceptable Use Policy on DG.)

A Texas Chili Contest

Warning - If you can read this whole story without laughing out loud, then
there's no hope for you. I was crying with laughter by the end.

Note: Please take time to read this slowly. If you pay attention to the
first two judges, the reaction of the third judge is even better. For those
of you who have lived in Texas , you know how true this is. They actually
have a chili cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a
major portion of a parking lot at the San Antonio city park.
The notes are from an inexperienced chili taster named Frank, who was
visiting from Springfield ,IL .

Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili
cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I
happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directions to
the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other
two judges (native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and,
besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I
accepted."

Here are the scorecards from the event: (Frank is Judge #3)


Chili # 1 Eddie's Maniac Monster Chili...
Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
Judge # 3 -- (Frank) What the h*** is this stuff?! You could
remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put out the
flames. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy!

Chili # 2 Austin 's Afterburner Chili...
Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.
Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor; needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm
supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to
give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

Chili # 3 Ronny's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili...
Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick. Needs more beans.
Judge # 2 -- A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers.
Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like
I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more
beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting pie-eyed from all of the beer...


Chili # 4 Dave's Black Magic...
Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish, or
other mild foods; not much of a chili.
Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to
taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds?

Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-lb.
woman is starting to look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is
chili an aphrodisiac?


Chili # 5 Lisa's Legal Lip Remover...
Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding
considerable kick. Very impressive.
Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit
the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead, and I
can no longer focus my eyes. I passed gas and four people behind me needed
paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili
had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring
beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off.
It really pi**es me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming.
Stuff those rednecks.


Chili # 6 Pam's Very Vegetarian Variety...
Judge # 1 -- Thin, yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of
spices and peppers.
Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic.
Superb.
Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous,
sulphuric flames. I pooped on myself when I passed gas and I'm worried it will
eat through the chair! No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that
Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my fanny with a snow cone.

Chili # 7 Carla's Screaming Sensation Chili...
Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
Judge # 2 -- Ho-hum; tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of
chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about
Judge # 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress, as he is cursing
uncontrollably.
Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I
wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds
like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid
unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At
least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop
breathing; it's too painful. Stuff it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway.
If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

Chili # 8 Karen's Toenail Curling Chili...
Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold,
but spicy enough to declare its existence.
Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild, nor
hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge # 3 farted, passed
out, fell over, and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself.
Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted
to really hot chili?

Roflmbo. I did get this in an e-mail and really did laught out loud. I printed it out and sent it to my sister.
Now about her (Glee). She went into surgery yesterday for the 4 crushed vertebrae. They used a large needle and filled the vertebrae with a plastic-cement thingy. I was really hoping that it would take care of the stomach pain because the 9th vertebrae has nerves that go around to the stomach. It will take awhile to tell for sure, but she is already home and called me and she is in good spirits.
Now, here's what I was hoping. She has had severe nausea following chemo even though the chemo ended last March. I wondered if the same nerves were causing the nausea that caused the stomach pain. Well, she said she ate a big breakfast and lunch before they sent her home from the hospital. No nausea! Thank goodness. She had lost down to 102 lbs. I told her if she turned sideways and stuck out her tongue, she'd look like a zipper.

Woodspirit...so glad to hear about your sister...I had asked my DD that works for our Chripractor about the nausea and the 9th vertebrae....she is also a therapist...and agreed that it could cause the nausea.

Darius....Liz had sent that to me....and I Peed right along with you...LOL

I have been suffereing from nausea all day today...the Dr. had me start on Citrucel today....would that have caused my nausea? He also had me take a new pain pill at night for the pain in my feet....one of these two did me in!! Here it is night time again and I am still feeling ill....I had to call my friends and beg off from going with them to the Gourd Festival tomorrow...and I hate to miss that!

How about a cup of tea...something that will aid in settling my stomach? I'll pass on any sweets though...Jo

Oh, no, Jo... not another one of us feeling puny! So sorry... and sorry you will miss the gourd festival.

Betty, sounds like good news for your sister! Yea!!

I'll never be able to eat chili again without thinking and laughing about that one!! It was good!!

Made the 'velvet crumb' cake off the bisquick box. Haven't made it in years and it turned out wrong - cake is about one inch high! I read and reread the directions and I did everything right. I have managed to eat 4 huge slices trying to determine what is the matter (it is dense and heavy) Won't be passing this around for samples needless to say!!

Had to pick up our grandson after school yesterday - his mom was home with the crud and couldn't even get up. He spent the night - lost a tooth even. He wrote a letter to the tooth fairy asking her not to take the tooth - he wanted to show his mom first!! LOL That's a good one - oh well, saved me a couple of bucks!!

Had to go to the postoffice and complain yesterday. Our mail has been arriving wayyyy late. Visa bill came 3 wks after it was due (had to argue about the late charge...) Gas/electric bill never showed up for the month of Dec, and a check I was expecting from 5 miles away (mailed Jan 8 arrived Feb 4) people who sent it had a 'stop payment' on it (now more $$) Postmaster said that one should have only taken 1 day to get here. He was very unhappy - said he would take care of it - I think someone is going to get in trouble!!!! It doesn't matter to me if magazines etc show up late, but when I have to pay extras for late bills, then I get a fuming!! ....stepping down off the soap box now...

DH has sausage and eggs a going - come on over - he always fixes enough to feed a crowd!!

I talked to her and she is in good spirits. Of course, there was a little pain medicine going on there, lol. I printed out "A Texas Chili Contest" and will mail it to her this morning.

Darius,

I was laughing so hard I'll bet the neighbors thought I'd gone bonkers.

Thanks so much for the laughter, it's so good for the soul.

Molly

Great story Darius!! Thanks for sharing. Not much going on today, sun's up, and temps are in the high 30s heading for 40+ and the snow is melting like...well...snow. Good to see the sun, I hate the long gray days that make you want to hibernate like a bear. Hope everyone's ailments go away quickly, it's so nice to be feeling well again.

Prescription meds often have side effects that are almost as bad as whatever is wrong with you that requires the med. Sheeesh. I used to get really bad leg cramps at night, and my Dr. prescribed something for it, and after I read the possible side effects, I decided I'd rather drag myself out of bed and walk them off than take the pills. Also found out that getting more potassium in my diet would serve the same purpose.

Sarv, does that bisquick box have an expiration date on it? Maybe it passed and the baking powder or baking soda didn't work. Sometimes stores have old stock and we get stuck with it.

I'll have some of that sausage and eggs, one of my favorite breakfasts....yummmm.

I tried to post a reply last night but something must have on the fritz between DG server and mine. SOOooooo, instead of having to try to remember what I said (LOL) I copied it over to my note pad so I could paste it in this morning.

qoute~
Darius...I'm with 'Frank' LOL

Mary, it sounds like you made quite a haul in town today. I'm proud of you for being able to pass by *most* of the garden goodies. hehehe ...Hey! I have some blackberry lilies starting to split their skins in the containers outside...does that count? :-D

Betty, I'm thrilled to hear the good news for your sister. I'm sure it's big relief for you.

Jo, please don't go making us worry about you too. ;-) (Hope you feel better after a little tea...I'm thinking good thots for ya!)

It was beautiful outside today. I got to peek into my winter sown containers and everything is looking really good. They're all just ready to burst into bloom...I can tell that by looking, you know. :-D I was really excited to see that some of the wild violets and the Skye Pansies have some green leaves for me to look at (until the next snow storm). All in all...I had a pretty good day.

Hope everyone is fit as a fiddle tomorrow (including me! :-D)

~julie~
(end quote ~)

As for today...HI everyone! Thanks...I'd love some sausage and eggs, Sarv. I think that Velvet Crumb cake was one of my very first attempts at baking when I was first married. And you know what, I still make it from time to time. :-)

M5...I take magnesium tablets to help with the leg and foot cramps I get. If I go for a few days without it, I get the cramps back big time.

Ok...I'm off to surf the net for more garden supplies. :-D :-D

~julie~

Sarv, I don't eat sausage often (nor bacon) but this morning sausage and eggs sounds good!

I solved the late mail problems by signing up with checkfree.com, which is free. Once my bills are entered the first time, they then send me an email when every new bill comes in. When I go to my bills page, it shows all bills, dates and amounts due. I have the choice of how much to pay and what date to pay it to avoid late charges, and it gets deducted from my checking account on the appointed day and paid directly to the creditor.

I've been using them for almost 2 years now, and never have had a foul-up. My only bills they don't handle are my car insurance and rent. Wish they did handle my ins. co. though. I just got my paper bill yesterday (forwarded 2X) that was due Jan. 26. Hope my check gets there before they cancel my ins.

M5, I try to eat more bananas to thwart leg cramps. Seeems to help. My mother took quinine pills for leg cramps.

Glad y'all liked the Texas Chili thing... I love a hearty belly-laugh!