Coffee and...Part 37...! :-D

Session #37 (Started Oct. 7, 2005)

I can't believe that I went out to dinner with my DH, DS's and DIL's to celebrate the DIL's birthday...got home too late to even think about the computer...and this morning find our thread has gone over 160 posts! (I was only gone a few hours! LOL)

We had a great dinner...I had a Fisherman's Platter (Lobster, fish and shrimp) and lots of Wisconsin-type appetizers (deep fried cheese curd, mushrooms, 'poppers', and onion rings) and a tall Iced Tea! PLUS...it was the first time in ages that all 6 of us sat at the same table for a dinner out in ages. It was FANTASTIC!!! (I didn't even mind paying the bill...it was *that* good just being together!)

Guess I'd better go get my second cuppa and go back and read ALL those posts I missed between yesterday afternoon and now. :-) But don't expect me to remember to comment. hehehehe

~julie~

Edited for spelling...probably missed more than I fixed...AND to remove the SECOND time I signed my name. LOL

This message was edited Oct 7, 2005 8:06 AM

Doesn't take long for this bunch to fill up the pages does it? I have to make notes or else I spend half the time scrollling up and down! I deleted most of my work history after I checked in later, it sounded way too boring to take up that much space. And way too technical to be of interest.

Julie, your dinner sounded like a typical Wisconsin restaurant. Good food and lots of it. People who come here from either coast are so impressed with the price and variety of cuisine here, not to mention the quantity of food served for the money! We used to entertain people from all over the US and the world, because of DH's job, on the company expense account, and they always left the restaurant table happy. Even our French visitors!

We have also been entertained by those same people when we have traveled to Europe, and have enjoyed wonderful dinners. Best ever was in Paris in a little restaurant down in a grotto, only candles for lighting, couldn't find it again to save my life! Fabulous food.

Sarv and Robert, I'm hooked on vanity plates, and unusual number combinations too. Ever check out at the supermarket and get an even dollar amount on the receipt? Happened to me only three times that I can recall! I like those free samples too and sometimes I even buy the product...but mostly I just scarf up the freebies..

Also think I shuffled my insomnia off to you Robert, sorry about that....but I slept well last night with the help of one of those OTC sleep aids. I think waking up at 12:30 the night before and not getting back to sleep might have had something to do with it too.

Carol, I sent my DD the link to your photos from the Nationals.
Hoping she can join DIL and me at the Pie place for lunch today, they have the best burgers! Not to mention p-i-e.

Sending the processor back....ugh, I have to pay return shipping, adding insult to injury. I figured out what is wrong with it, bad engineering. The pusher that should connect with the spring that starts the motor won't go down far enough because of a manufacturing defect. So back it goes.

Sounds like a great plan to go get that puppy, AAA is super for trip planning, even warning you of road repairs and construction obstacles. And plenty of time for Tink to bond with her new pal.

Did four loads of laundry yesterday...now I've got to iron the stuff that needs it, and then rearrange my closet to get the warm weather items up on the shelves, and the sweaters and stuff down where I can reach them. I hate to iron stuff I'm not going to wear, but if I stack it up wrinkled, by spring they will be even harder to iron. I'll just drag the ironing board out in front of the tv in the living room, and watch CSI, or what ever else I've recorded.

Where are those pictures Darius? We're waiting............!

Happy day to everyone, and stay warm/cool ....we went from 85* on Wednesday to 50* on Thursday...and my hanging plants need to come down and retire. But not today.........tomorrow ...tomorrow

Meezer....thanks for the hint....taking notes...I too scroll and scroll and still miss stuff.

I love the thing about the licence plates...I check them all.

Good Morning everyone! Would you belief I just woke up at 9:30?
I can't! But could not sleep last nigh either.
My back is hurting a lot, so I can't sit a long time and have to keep walking, will be going to the chiropractor later once again, just been there yesterday.
Made some biscotti yesterday , have some with your coffee am having some that right now. Sorry have to get up and walk again and can't respond to all of you, talk woth you later.
Maria

Notes now that is the idea why did it take this long for me to figure out how everyone could comment on 10 entries and I was reading on and forgetting who said what!
Will take notes next time.
Good morning all
Anne

Oh my how did that happen sorry

What did you may, mag???? could you repeat that???? LOL

LOL LOL LOL

I CHEAT!!! hehehe When I have the time to really answer everyone, I just open up the Parking Lot forum in a 'New Window' find our thread, skip to where I left off, read the posts in one window and respond in the other. That way I don't lose my place. LOL

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!!

Today I'm going to get my arse in gear and pot up a bunch of geranium cuttings, set up the timers on my light stands, and go outside to take more reference photos of my flower beds before they have to be cut down and I can't tell where things are planted.

I take literally thousands of pics (probably tens of thousands!) each gardening season. And spend the winter months remembering how beautiful it *was* and feeding myself with inspiration to wait for the spring.

OH!!! Speaking of photos! I had a great experience yesterday. I had an unknown wildflower pop up in a yucca that had been given to me by my neighbor who passed away this time last fall. I'd searched everywhere I knew to look in order to ID it. Finally, after several months, I put it up on the Identification Forum here is DG. Of course it was ID'd within a few hours.

I had checked out the UW wildflower site that I always use to help put a name to an unknown...and couldn't find this one. After a DG member (Baa) gave me the name I went back to see if it really was on the UW site. I found it (long story) but the pics there were so bad I wouldn't have recognized it even if I'd known the name.

SOOoooo...I sent a couple of shots off to the person in charge of the photography on site. Within a couple more hours I had a confirmation email and was told "Thank you for the *great* photos of Teucrium canadense." They're going to *USE* them!!! YIPPEEEEE!! (I feel really good...now I have a place to send the results of all those days I've spent in the woods taking 'worthless' pics of wildflowers! :-D)

Sorry 'bout that. I don't usually have anything exciting (to me) to tell you guys. I just HAD to tell someone. :-)

I'll be back to talk later.

In the meantime...Have a GREAT one!

~julie~

Edited to add a n't to "could"
NOW it makes sense


This message was edited Oct 7, 2005 9:59 AM

Morning! Getting a lazy start... and a Late Start, LOL. Seem to be sleeping a lot later than I usually do...

Anyway, here's the link of the photos of where I live:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/549636/

Julie88 - what restaurant did you go too? If it was that good, it would be worth the drive - I'm only an hour and a half away.

M5 - interested in the pie place too. My DH and DS are working in Oconomowoc for several days. It's nice to know a good place to eat.

Bal - I'm really sorry about the knee problems. You sound like an active person and having a bum knee can really slow you down.

Babs - save me a scone! PLEASE!!!

Darius - I'm getting a late start too. Worked to clean out a room for my DM to visit then she decided not to come! After all that physical labor, I couldn't get to sleep, so I wrote my daughter a letter from her dog! (No I'm not crazy. Sara's on a mission trip and with all the traveling they do it can get a bit boring in the vehicle. I thought it would be a good laugh. Link for mission info: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/540406/.) Then I didn't sleep too well UNTIL I laid on the loveseat at 7:30 this morning.

Darius love the photos! looks great !
Anne
But where is your apartment area!!!!

Okay, I posted some additional pics showing the area in back of the house by my apartment... http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/549636/

Love it! looks like your own little garden retreat!
So lovely
Anne

Almost ready to take off for the 'girly' weekend. Packed only warm - big clothes- we are going to pig out, laugh, play cards, shop and sleep. Made some brownie/cream cheese cupcakes to take along with a ton of munchies. We go out for lunch and dinner, but eat breakfast there.

Just have to do up last minute dishes and pack the car...I'm soo excited!! Have fun while I am gone and I know I will have a ton to read - coming back Sun afternoon.

see ya everyone - be safe!!

Have a wonderfull time.....

sarv~~you have a magic clock? I want those extra 18 mins too! Where did you get them?

Julie~~here I thought I was being so smart with my notes on junk mail envelopes. D'oh! I usually have 3 DG windows open at a time anyway, lol!

I've got 2 DGers coming tomorrow to visit, I have got to get this place presentable so I'll not be on *much* today, lol. And my kids are out of school today, sigh.

Enjoy your day!

mg

STAY SAFE, SARV!!! (yelling cuz I don't she can hear me from there!!)

:-)

~julie~
P.S. Darius...WAY cool! (More notes in the thread)

What ideas - notes and opening two windows. Brilliant. Must try that sometime. lol

If there are any other Canadians lurking in the background, Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your turkey whenever you celebrate - on Sunday or Monday.

Ann

I stole that idea about the notes from mg, so I guess it's fair game for anyone now! mg, that sounds like a good day with a visit from DG friends, hope you enjoy it! Tell us about it tomorrow!

New window....what a concept! Have to try that bcoz sometimes I can't read my own writing....

Jasmerr. I don't know if Oconomowoc has a Baker's Square, (pie place) but the one we go to is near where my DIL works so it's convenient. The staff at that one is particularly nice, so we enjoy it. It's a chain but they don't fry everything. You might have to make a short run west to 15300 W. Bluemound Road, that's the farthest one west that I know of. Oconomowoc isn't that far from it, take 94 east and get off on Bluemound exit. Then just watch the numbers. Not to pricey either. gotta run.

Just a quick note here...
Jody, the "restaurant" isn't really a restaurant at all. It's just a little eatery (Hennings Fish House) that's only open Thurs, Fri, and Sat nights in the town just north of us (Richland Center). If a person were to drive past it without knowing it was there...they'd miss it completely. LOL (or if they *did* see it, they'd think twice about stopping.)

Y'all really should try that 'second window' routine...works well if you're not in a hurry.

~julie~
(in a hurry again...nearly supper time!)

M5, thanks for the info; I'll let the guys know.

Thanks, Julie. I've never been there, but the name sounds very familiar. I probably have seen it when I've driven that way.

Happy Thanksgiving to our northern neighbors!

Jody

Rob't... you asked if I had photos of my dream kitchen I built in my old Atlanta home. I do, somewhere but not digital and I have no scanner.

My "dream" kitchen would be different now that I am retired, anyway!

Tell us about it, Darius....

LOL, it's not a "picture" in my mind yet, although a photo of one I saw in a magazine recently (that means in the last 3 years!) would be a start for size! It's the home kitchen of Mark Miller in Santa Fe, New Mexico, world-famous restauranteur owner of Cayote Cafe and

No....first the one that you had in Atlanta....tell what that was like. As a chef, I'm all ears....lol

I'm not even going to try to catch up......wow what a buch of gabbing gob's! LOL

Darius - Love th pictures! And I agree with Gayle - there's a WHOLE lot of difference between a garden and landscaping......I like yours better. Though I guess both have a place.

Nothing much else to report.....I was really sore and swollen on Wed and Thursday from my endoscopy. Apparently that happens some times according to the doctor. But I'm back to normal now - just in time for Monday - and two other tests.....but they won't be "invasive".

The weather has finally turned nice here and tomorrow - come you know what or high water - we're going to finish the little bit of painting we have to do outside! If I have to beat him with a stick! LOL He (DH) is going to Colorado on the 21st for 10 days (visiting brother on the weekends and class for work during the week). I told him he couldn't go if the painting wasn't done and the computer (desktop) wasn't fixed. He just laughed of course. MEN! (no offense - at least not much). I'm really jealous of him going - cause I'd love to - but he and his brother can go hiking like they like - and I'm planning on a surprise for him when he gets back. I think I'm going to "redo" the closet. We have lots of space, but it's not being used correctly or efficiently - so I'm going to rip out and maybe put a closet maid system in.....I'm still shopping. He would be so surprised and pleased. If I don't do that - I might paint the kitchen. So - I'm kind of looking forward to it.

Okay - I've rambled enough. Later All!

Marcia

Hap, the kitchen in Atlanta was built for/by me who was then a working/travelling woman who had occasional big dinner parties. Probably 300 square feet, if not more, never really measured it! All done in white, with a white & black solid vinyl tile floor.

Large center island, maple top... unfortunately I capitulated to my mother who spent the winters with me and cooked every day, so it was an elec. stove with sealed cast iron hobs in a glass top. Never again! Wall oven. I wanted two but didn't have the funds.

Bar sink and prep area on one side of the island opposite the stove, small baking center was on the island end (I didn't bake much then), in partly what had been the back porch, but now opened up to the kitchen. The back area had low built-in drawers for linens and a built-in microwave and coffee station on one side, for the breakfast area. That cabinet was just a custom laminate top that I did myself and the drawers were scarfed out of some shallow chest-of-drawers I got at a fun yard sale. Perfect for linens.

Half of one whole side of the kitchen opened (with french doors and side panels) to a large screened porch with lots of plants and seating areas... which in turn looked down 4 steps to the in-ground pool.

Large formal dining room through the archway on the other side of the kitchen. Took me weeks to get all the old wallpaper and wainscotting off those walls, but real plaster underneath!

I loved my side-by-side Amana that had the shallow depth of the cabinets rather than the usual depth... never had stuff get lost in the back of it, even with my mother there! I gave up my older stainless steel fridge for it and it was worth it, as I usually had the nasty job of cleaning out my mother's fridge when I'd visit her... bacon grazing on the lettuce!

Now I'd rather have freezer on the bottom or separate fridge drawers, and a larger freezer than I now have, upright.

Hap, it's been fun for me to "view" my old kitchen. Thanks for helping me review the memories, : )

Hap... forgot to say... Funny how things work. My best friend at the time was Bud, who lived in Atlanta then, and is a neighbor now although still goes to Atlanta for 4-1/2 days of work.

Well, I sold the house to a 30 something couple... the woman cried when they came for the kay after I had packed, moved out and cleaned. She said "Oh, I want it like it was..." (my decorating)/

Anyway, Bud told me a couple of years ago that his boss bought my old house later on, and loves it!

That's sounds like quite a place. A place for everything....I love it. I chuckled when you said Linens......Nobody has them anymore...I think......everything is polyester. I was taught how to iron linens when I was just a kid. I now have the batch to do because I'm having Thanksgiving here and I need a lot of them. Think I'm up to about 20 so far, but hey, it's a month away...lol

I'm surprised that you liked the shallow ref. My son has one and it doesn't hold anything big...like platter...how did you manage?

Now, tell me what you would do now...different? yes?

Have to think what I'd do differently now. May take some time. Certainly a gas stove (6 burnersat least), and one where I can span 2 burners easily for my pressure canner. Grill would be nice. Good vented hood absolutely necessary, maybe I'll design and build it myself.

Have you ever tried to wipe your mouth with a polyester napkin? Doesn't absorb a darn thing and feels terrible on your face to boot! My table was 42" x 96" (antique) and standard linens didn't fit... so my dressmaker mother made all of mine. I still have them, and the table! (and actually the lace-looking one is part synthetic with a white underlayment... but red wine stains come out.)

When I had that shallow refrigerator, I only occasionally cooked for crowds and when I did, there were few leftovers. But it really solved the problem with my mother. I HATE the new mfg. cupboards that will NOT hold a turkey platter, never mind a large pottery soup toureen.

Oh Darius, I knew you would be livid about the polyester nappies....They ARE the pits...but no iron.....Speaking of ironing,.....I was doing some when my husband's grandchildren were here from the north several years ago. One looked and looked at me and finally asked, "What's that?" , pointing to the iron.......well, guess it's poly in that house..It's a good thing that the Casual Look is in for these kids......

I have an antique table now and I really have trouble with linens....fully open it's over 4 yds long. (Dang, why did I give away that cutlace tablecloth I had up north?) It was 4 and 1/2 yds....could use it now. So, What I have to do is use 2 large cloths and put a table runner across the table like I meant it to be there...that way, it looks like one tablecloth....Always more than one way to skin a cat....Plus, it's 51 1/2" wide. I can seat 16 at a time, which I will be doing on Thanksgiving. The pic is the stretcher of the table. It's really pretty..

Got to go to bed now...the dog's tired.....he yells at me when it's time....not spoiled at all....lol

Holy crackey! I'm done, I'm done, I'm done!!! I finished my BIL's comforter for his birthday. Yay!!! Now I won't have to be scurrying about trying to get him something. Woohoo!!! *Babs has HAPPY Feet*!!!

Hubby isn't home from work yet. This has already been a very long day. Poor man, he has to rate 190-1st class petty officers within the department. So he and 9 LCPO's are hashing things out in a meeting that's been ongoing since 1400. I'm sure the poor dear will want a strong cuppa tea (with possibly a spot of brandy or such in it) when he gets home and I'll be putting the phone on divert except for dire emergencies only. The boys (2 Boston Terriers) are at the front window crying with every vehicle that goes by just waiting for hubby to get home. They know he's late.

Oh, and did I mention? I'm done, done, done with Jim's Gallos y Gallinas comforter!!! Woohoo! *Babs has HAPPY FEET*!!! Oh, yeah, this is where I came in.

Hugs to everyone tonight and I pray each of you have a safe and wonderful weekend :-)

Babs

too much to catch up on tonight so I will try tomorrow
Gotta hit the hay
maybe the coffee chat is more than I can keep up with given my situation with a young one around but will try anyway!
Goodnight all
Anne

Well you done gone and done it again, you all say that you get things accomplished, but how in the world, do you have computers strapped to your person, keyboard held by the contraption that xylophone players use? type while you are vacuuming with one hand, mental image just made me chuckle!! Well since I read all the chatter that happened today, I will try to update my life.

Went to chiropractor this morning, then on to the ob-gyn for the yearly, scheduled bone density and mammogram for next week. Came home, DGD had friend over to play, so got very little accomplished. Took her home about 4:00, with a stop at Walmart (DH needed a battery for the lawn mower) ate and home, where I made 2 phone calls, and read.

Aria, I am so sorry that you are having back problems, do you think the chiropractor is helping? It is helping my arm--some. That dinner with the whole family sounded really nice.

Meezer, I've never been to your neck of the woods, but I have been told that it is beautiful. They say God made the rest of the country and left Kentucky for last, where he incorporated all the elements into it. I too look at vanity plates, and sometimes it's awhile before they really register with me!! Kind of slow sometimes. Jeez, sorry about your processer. Probably the only one that came off the line like that. Bet it was made on a Monday!!

Julie, all those pictures turned into something useful, congrats!!

Jasmer, I have sleep problems too, comes and goes, for about a week or so I sleep well, then it all goes south. I am considered weird, but a letter from a dog?

Sarv, Enjoy your weekend. Your comment about counting windows, my dad was a counter. He could tell you how many tobacco plants were in a row, or how many corn plants, etc. We are talking acres here, he would come to the house and calculate how many plants to an acre!! Enjoy your all girl weekend. Set aside Monday just to read this thread!!

MorningGlory, I hope you have fun with the DG'ers. They aren't coming to look at your house, just to visit and admire your gardens. I know, I like my house to be neat when anybody comes in too.

Betsy Bug, you sound very ambitious. Ripping out a closet, or painting your kitchen. This kind of activity only comes upon me when I have been cooped up all winter, and I am going crazy trying to think of something to do. You go girl!!

Darius, Looked at your pics of the apartment. Great place. Looks like I could just drop in and stay a month. So peaceful looking, and yes, I agree, there is a difference between landscaping and gardening. Love yours. Loved your description of your kitchen, and what you would do differently. For 26 years I lived in a house with a kitchen that was 7' wide and 21' long. Talk about a galley kitchen. No dining room in this house also. Needless to say, did very little entertaining then. Now I love it. My new kitchen is 18x18, and lived in. Combo kitchen/dining. I love it when I can cook and also see and talk to guests. Happy, I know that you can relate to "ideal kitchens" with being a chef. Everything needs to be stratigically placed in order to properly allow a meal to be prepared efficiently.

Robert, sorry to hear about your knee problems. DM, has the same thing, and is in constant pain. She has had the cortisone injections, the gold injections, and cement, all did good, but as time marches on, seems nothing but surgery will help. Alas, she is almost 87, and about 150 pounds overweight, due to her not being able to exercise, and Drs think that surgery would be beneficial, only if she lost the weight. Have been to orthopaedic specialist with the arm. They declare that it carpel tunnel. Wear a brace on that arm, especially at night, but going to the chiropractor has helped more than anything. He thinks that it is a pinched nerve in my neck.

Happy, I thought I was the only one with a dog (Jack Russell Terrier) that yelled and told me when it was time to go to bed. He gets very agitated, running back and forth from the bedroom to the dining area, telling me when I am late to go to bed. Sometimes, just to calm him, I go to bed, then when he is asleep, I get back up. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Aren't critters so smart? If only someone would give mine speech lessons, he would talk. Although I understand everything he tries to tell me. Does that say what kind of mentality I have?

Well, Since Bruno is insisting, I am going to bed, not sleepy, so it might be one of those nights I try to fool him.

Night all, sweet dreams, see you in the morning.

Your kitchen sounded terrific Darius. Hope you get a chance to design another one some day.

I had the chance, 14 years ago, to design my kitchen when we put on a sizeable addition to the house. It was great fun and 14 years later I would change very few things. I AM about to replace my Amana fridge with a GE. The dang Amana has woefully small crispers. And I would like a freezer on the bottom too. 14 years ago, there were very few options with bottom freezers and I didn't want to give up the width I would have need to. The GE's go on sale at Sears next week. ;-)
This is my birthday present to myself, but I decided that with the heat we had last July when my birthday was, that it would have been foolish and difficult to unload a fridge. At this time of year, I can probably put some of its contents in my screened porch.

Talking about linens, I have large linen table napkins from both grandmothers and I use them. Must have over 20; so I don't have to iron them often. (I don't iron much anymore except when I'm sewing). But there really isn't anything like a crisply ironed linen table napkin. I wash them without fabric softener and throw them into a bag in my freezer. Then when they all need ironing, I set myself up infront of the TV and do the lot. One other thing - modern irons don't get hot enough. To do a really good job, you need an old iron and I saved one when years ago my mother's mental state dictated an iron which would turn itself off. (Heck, I need one that turns itself off too, and I'm not as old as she was). lol

BTW, those polyester napkins don't absorb a thing that you want them to - just the grease which merges with the fibres, never to come out. I'd take a good paper one any day.

Back to fridges, another thing I've always hated about my Amana is that the meat drawer is vented to the freezer to keep it cold. That means it can only go in one place. I'm always loosing things between it and the crisper, never to be found until they are green and fuzzy.

I've just poached a salmon filet. another move in unloading my downstairs freezer so that it will take the contents of the kitchen one.
But a cold, poached salmon filet will provide quick meals for a few days of next week when we get tired of left-over turkey.

Good night all.
Ann

Defoe,

I was a little worried when no one commented on the letter! LOL It's really quite entertaining...wanna read it?

Jody

Wow Darius, that house looks lovely! Its a pity you can't stay on, but health before all. I just hope you find somewhere equally lovely to live thats healthy.

I designed and built my own kitchen years ago - knocked two rooms into one and had the kitchen I dreamed of. Did it all myself too and got a real kick out of the process, but it took over a year to finish. Then we moved and I had to start again - did the design myself there too, but bought pre-made cabinets instead of building my own from scratch. Then we moved again - military service husband- so someone else got the benefit and I got a horrid galley kitchen that was too small to skin a cat. THAT is one thing I certainly don't miss from the UK house!! At least here its a great size. DH can't think why I wanted a big ketchen for only two of us - but at least in this one I don't fall over him!!

The drain under this house is mended - but there is still a lake under there and its not drain water. Now we have to figure out where its coming from before it can be fixed - I have sort of lost heart with the yard - if its all got to be dug up I don't feel like doing anything to it - even weeding.

Off to bed now, I'll catch up with all you gabby GOBs tomorrow!!

Good Morning!

Am I really the first one up? (Actually, I didn't go to bed again, lol!)

I won a Brug contest last night!

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/549679/

I am very excited! Even DH and the kids are excited to get these beauties. Altho dh did have to gripe a bit about having to buy more pots, lol!

I'm still doing touch ups to the house before my guests get here. Not that much to do now, so I'm also trying to beat down the laundry monster in the basement. Just once in my lifetime I'd like to be able to say there are NO dirty clothes in my house other than what we have on right this second. When my feet are really bad I don't get down the steps too good so the laundry can really pile up on me. At one point last winter when I was back using the crutches, the laundry was actually piled 3 feet high. After I had it all sorted out, I could barely walk in the laundry room and some of the piles were out in the kids' playroom. My friend Liz and I hauled 20 loads to the laundrymat in her Blazer, can you imagine? And I can't believe I just admitted all that, lol.

Anyway, time to jump in the shower and make another pot of coffee.

mg