Best/Worse &What did I learnt today/Chat with Friends Pt72

Forgot the photo

Yet 2 more tables full of 'to do's'...I remembered cutting out the wood for a 'snowman' mirror..if I work hard this weekend and clear all of these pieces then I will have time to complete Melanies..

Sitting in a corner are 4 or 5 panels that are either finished or just a touch of paint to finish the design and they go in a frame I did for her a few years ago..interchangeable..there they are sitting as well..so just might have to bring them to work..

Well I truly am tired tonight..so it's hot bath and off to a comfy bed for me..know it's early but I'm tired...

Hope you all enjoyed your day..are you counting how many more until Christmas???? bet you are...

Judy, had to come back down, how proud you must have been to have them acknowledge your dedication and work ethics...congratulations....leaving ones place of employment with such high praise makes you feel it was all worthwhile...hope you sleep with the angels tonight..guess what? you get to sleep in tomorrow morning...I'll be thinking of you!

That's awesome how they all acknowledged you like that. I'd be proud, way proud! You deserve to be proud. I wish I had stayed with a company that long, or anything longer than 4 years.

Betty, too bad you have to drive tomorrow, but like you said, you need to go to town anyway, and it's only one day out of the whole week, lucky dog you!

Man, look at all of those paints, that would fill up my house! LOL!! Not to mention all of the other stuff!

Hopefully my mom's surgery will fix all of her pain and I can have her over here and we can do things together again. I really miss it even though we drive each other nuts! Have a great time with those cookies!

Get your tooth fixed girl! Nothing worse than a toothache.

Dave's gone so I'm going to go see if I can find a hammer to hammer in this nail into this piece of "post" lol

Crissy, get a move on, want to see that Santa done and displayed..lol...you can do it..few more hours and you'll be proud of your 1st craft project..

What is the matter with your mom Crissy?

Snowed quite a bit last night and calling for more..will leave early for Barrie so if road conditions aren't the best I'll not have to rush..don't have key for Barrie building so can't get there too early..will have one after today though..,

Looking around this morning to find my gift certificate for the Garden Gallery as it's just down the street from work and I wants to pick up some unusual greenery for my arrangements so will pick up something for me from the girls BUT can't recall where I put it??? With all the todo on Monday I set it somewhere safe but where would that be?

So off I go getting some shovelling done before I leave, getting my files together for work...talk later...

morning all,

betty, santa suit is wonderful! holy cow what are you going to do with all of that ribbon lol
how are you liking the new building, who's painting that mail box nice deer scene.
got another mold on ebay but its a little bigger lol so i'll play with that.

judy, wow finally over, how ya feeling now that it has set in..
oh we'll keep you busy!

carol, door sound nice got alot of snow?

jesse, hows your tooth any luck on finding anything yet?

vicki how you doing catching mice still? oh im ready to light up a torch! this last one is killing me he bypasses the traps so we put some peanut butter out, i guess this one is alot smarter,we'll figure out somethingelse :)

hi laura how are you doing? now you must be in spring now? how are all the orchids doing?

hi jeannine, how are the dogs doing bet sailor is up to murphy now!

hi gilli, you covered in snow? how's the family doing?

hi ruby what you going to work on?

hey bev how is powder doing, scotty feeling ok?

hi shar, dawn, cat, hello to all others have a wonderful day.

Greetings All - Ladydragon5 didn't get a copy of the infamous Applesauce Cake, so I will post here again. I noticed that I have written on my original recipe the measurements for doubling the recipe and baking two cakes at once if desired.

Applesauce Cake -This recipe is for one cake.

1/2 cup of butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Allspice
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs beating well after each one. Sift dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture, alternating with applesauce. Turn batter into greased and lightly floured pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done. Use a toothpick to determine if done. Cool in pan.

Betty, you asked about the pan sticking. One little hint that I have used in the past successfully is to turn cake upside down on surface where you will be serving the cake, such a platter or plate. Get a clean kitchen towel wet and sit on top of pan. When the towel becomes warm or begins to dry out, keep adding water to it several times and the baking pan ought to let loose of cake by then. I hope that this helps you too. Let us know how the cranberries taste, though I don't believe that I could be talked in to doing that because I am not a big fan of cranberries and fear that adding them will take away from the already proven delicious taste of the treat.

Ladydragon5, my mom and some of her work friends had a cookie baking night each holiday season and as a child I always went along to who ever's house was hosting that year. They made only one cookie called Cherry Winks. By the time the evening was over, they had hundreds and hundreds of these cute and delicious cookies. For old time sake I tried making them last year. They did not turn out to look as good as these other ladie's did, but they were still very yummy, yummy.

I am hoping that I will be able to soon be done with wrapping gifts and putting up a tree so that I can spend some time in the next weeks doing some baking. Yep, Weight Watcher's will have lots of new people after the holidays. ha-ha

I agree with Crissi about the type of pan that you cooked in Betty. When I prepare and cook them in that sort of pan, I just leave in the pan and we slice it as we are getting ready to eat it.

Judy - I am not sure whether to say congratulations or that I am very sorry for your loss. I am sure that you are feeling the same way yourself, changes from moment to moment. Anyway, I hope that you will enjoy your time off from working.

Good to see everyone. I hope that you will have a good day.

Ruby

Ruby thanks for the information about getting the cake out of the pan..I seem to remember grandma doing it as well..ate one..not just me, my Wednesday night girls - 2 pieces left..one for Suzanne and one for me with coffee this morning..the other I managed to get out of the pan in one piece..now in the freezer - something incase someone drops in...Ruby, the cranberries were just great, didn't really change anything..added pretty color ..I'll be adding it again..

Those cookies sound wonderful..care to share...

Someone else gave me a hint about flour in the freezer..did that last time and couldn't believe it didn't harden..as soft as though it were in the cupboard..

I thought over the week I'd have time to clean my cupboards, can't call throwing everything away cleaning can you? Starting fresh, too much backdated boxes won't take a chance with them having critters...so this weekend it's a must then when I do my big Christmas shopping not only will there be room but all will be fresh...

Got my snow done, hope it's the last time I have to shovel..Mike is either bringing me the new gas snowblower either this aft. or tomorrow..oh happy days..

Somedays I feel like a little child, had my afternoon planned in Barrie, of course we are having squalls, so Suzanne told me NO GO, I'm to meet her at 8:00 am and not take the chance in driving..shucks, I've been driving about 15 years or so more than she, but I'll listen..even Paul called and said I'd best get a drive in with Suzanne...
Shaking my head...

So guess all I had planned for Barrie will have to be tomorrow if the roads are bare..I'll call DIL Melanie and see if she'd like to take a ride to the city and do a few things in the early a.m. and then stop of flower distributors and purchase flowers I need for my arrangements..we'll see she might if Noah has no hockey or if they've no plans..not so sure their company dinner/dance isn't Sat. night..oh well, I'll check..maybe even Kathy who does my grass, she might like an outing...

Best get going..car nice and warm..

Talk at the NEW/CLOSE BY office...just like a kid on her first day of school...

Betty-mom is planning to move here after she fully retires-TOledo has a great medical care facility and Ann Arbor is only about 40 mins away w/ U of M medical facilities and she really l.ikes the area we are in...

Well I usually lurk but this morning and I am dropping in to say hello. Ruby's applesauce cake did it! I have been reading, reading and reading about that cake so thanks ever so much for posting again.

While you all are having the snow we have the rains again!!! It really is pretty outside with all (well what is left of them) leaves a brilliant gold and red. As much of a change as we get in North Florida. Am getting a wee bit tired of all the rain--my decks need to dry out and all the leaves removed. Done it once but it is covered yet again with wet leaves!!

Stay warm, drive safely and enjoy the weekend.

Morning all

Judy you sure have a great attitude about losing your job. Good for you. Who knows..may be a start of something you like better.
You asked if I decorate upstairs for Christmas..yes I do..I put lights in the front window and a curtain with lights behind in the dining room Garden doors and decorations here and there..but nothing compared to Betty..

This is my new/used fireplace doors I told you about..I know they are quite dated looking ..but so is the old fireplace..

This is when they are open..I had a small fire there yesterday while I watched a movie.

Wondered where you were Marion..package in the mail for you...think once you and Trisha receive them my commitment to the Santa workshop has been fulfilled..

Stacey, how much longer does she have before she can move? Ann Arbour, think when I listened to my GPS when going to Judy's in Chicago I went through AnnArbor and was impressed by it's beauty and cleanliness...

Such a happy day today, Suzanne is laughing, she's telling Colin (lawyer) Paul and the girls that I actually had tears in my eye this morning...which I did, was not more than 25 minutes (roads were actually clear) AND we were here..first time I've been inside and LOVE it..

We all got new computers, thin screen, wireless keyboard...my office or area is large, open, light colors..just so excited...WE are all doing the happy dance, yep we are...you've never seen the atmoshere in an office so jovial..we're above being happy...

Looked around this morning, there are restaurants, shopping, wool shop and all kinds of goodies...

I've got a large area for, you guessed it Crafts...

Paul wanted us here so he could take time to set us up each individually as he leaves on vacation tomorrow...

I was first..some of the painting is not yet done and the painters will be here over the weekend..

They just delivered a new photo copy machine...in color no less soooo guess who can do her project pictures...lol

So loving it, we all thought it was only a dream to move closer but here we are....

Paul said no bonus this Christmas it's all sitting on our desk..the new system..lol..then he saw the cotton in my left ear so is going to town this aft. to pick up a good headset for me, said that way things might be clearer when I'm on the telephone....oh happy days...

He said there were 3 computers (entire units) that any of us could have...well there is a family across the road from me, they rent, have 2 children, probably 12 and 16..not sure if they have a computer syster so I'll check..I'm bringing it home with me and if they don't I'll give it to them, even think I have some games for computer that I purchased got my grandchildren..can include them...

All and all, I'm smilling from ear to ear.....
So glad I'm here

Beautiful Carol, you are right, the fireplace didn't need anything modern, those are perfect...what a beautiful photo..yep, got to see it on my summer trip..don't you love the vibrant colors..

So wish you could come spend a day or so over the holidays...

I am here just lurking. Oh goody but I am embarrassed to say I haven't worked much on my Santa--some things goning on that I haven't been able to concentrate Ie: my Mom. Got some really good news so things will pick up now!

I am so loving all the pictures of the snow, decorations and everything. Other than the gold and red, things aren't really pretty here--to wet and messy.

New office sounds fantatic. Enjoy.

Oh yay Betty! That's so exciting! You'll be able to see better, hear better, and all! Woo Hoo! I bet it's pretty!

My mom has a damaged nerve that is causing her constant excruciating pain she needs cut and every time she gets to where they're ready to make an appt for her surgery something happens and the dr decides, or can't do it. This has gone on for about 8 months and the dr in Minneapolis said he couldn't do it because of a biopsy he has to have on Dec 19th and will more than likely have to have surgery. He called the other night and scheduled surgery for January 2nd! Shocked all of us, but Yay! So I hope this goes through and her surgery gets her out a lot of her pain, if not all of it.

So I can probably do that applesauce cake in my new KitchenAid Artisian Mixer huh?

I had so much typed to each one of you and my Internet Explorer crashed and I lost it all. I'll try to remember what I typed so I can repeat it, but I'm going to lunch so I can get the correct batting for Mr. Santa and Eat!

See ya'll in a bit.

Crissy, for the amount you need, don't get it, you'll don't really need it...

Glad things will start to improve for you...your mom hasn't been well for some time???? will you get to visit with her over the Christmas holidays...

Yes, it is sooo beautiful looking outside at home especially when all the lights are on, photo can't capture it...only when it storms is it a concern..I've everything organized now with snowblower/plowman, decorations etc inside/outside so let the winter come..lol..

Waiting on mom, told her she has until tomorrow to decide about Florida..don't mind going down but can't make plans for family get together if I don't know my own plans

Marion, weren't you down to visit your mom not long ago? Had she fallen or something..she lives with your sister right? you were going to try and have her come up to visit, is that still a posibility?

Seems all our moms need special care...

Yes I was and no she won't be able to come for the holidays. We were told she had Parkinsons but after going to the specialist we have learned other wise. That is the good news!!!! Bad news is it will be a while before she can come and visit with me as the new doc is starting to take her off all meds. Seems she is/has been over medicated and it is causing the systoms. Process of finding out what now. Thought all these years she was diabetic and after new doc ran test--nope isn't!! Beginning to make me wonder if doctors even know what they are doing any more. Also not sure that there wasn't more damage than original thought from the fall and that might be causing some of the inablility to walk other than shuffle and the uncontrolable shaking. So a long serious of test, scans, MRIs. CTs and you name have been scheduled to get to the bottom of the problem. For almost 90 she has a much better memory than I do--really an alert up to date with it for her age.

How fantastic..sometimes these doctors keep prescribing meds one ontop of the other and so much can happen..it's great they found out..that is a lot of tests for her, does it upset her when she has to go? know it does me...are you able to go down to spend Christmas with her or after Christmas...not far from Clearwater is it you go?

No she actually is happy to hear something can possible be done about the problems. She isn't one to just sit still--has been extremely active until her fall.

Planning on going down after Christmas for a few days. Christmas will be with my children and granddaughters!! Might say command performance!!! You are allowed to guess who insisted Grandma be there. LOL

No, I won't go see her. I went there in August/September. I talk to her at least once a day and she's married to a very capable man who enjoys taking care of her. I won't see my dad either, I just saw him the beginning of November, and they're supposed to be coming to see me in April or May.

I'm glad they're going to run tests and what-not to find out exactly what is wrong with her. Sounds like her other dr was a bit of a quack. I know about those 90 year olds being sharper than a tack, my grandmother (dad's mom) was. Her bones were completely shot but her mind was sharp. If you want me to I'll tell you the story of when she went into a rest home and had to quit living on her own at 93 years old.

Betty, I found a very small roll for $2.99 at Michaels. Of course I found a lot of cool other things there too and could've spent a fortune! I love Christmas in craft stores! The other batting has patters on the back of it for a Santa pillow, I might try to make it! Oh, I bought myself a good pair of metal scissors, $23.00! Dave had better keep his hands off! Of course, these ones can be sharpened.

Maybe I can make something soft and fat with it!

crissyr would love to hear the story.

Waiting for the story as well Crissy..

Marion, where does mom live again...was it mid Florida? think it was in the town I love to visit..antiques in every store..forget the name now?

Just ordered in pizza, our tummy is full not sure how much longer we'll be here, but even if it's 4:30 that's fine

I just ate a boat load of real mashed potatoes and gravy YUM but now I need to pee LOL
BRB w/ story

Darlene just called me, here it's sunshine but cold..said she's been out 3 times to do they yard..major snowstorm..she says most from Waubaushine (where Suzanne lives) but thinks it's clear towards my home..

Mom lives in Arcadia and yes you do remember well--cow town with antiques. LOL

All right!

My Nana lived in one of those senior places where everything is inside with games, puzzles, they feed you, but they each have their own separate apartment but caretakers come in daily and help out, you know the ones I'm talking about? Anyway, she lived by herself in that from the time she was around 70 years old until she couldn't see or hear anymore and needed full time care when she was 93. She had Osteoporosis extremely bad and couldn't walk anymore either, and constantly broke bones because of it, but boy was she mentally with it. She remembered Everything, I mean things that "normal" people don't remember, to the very second of what was going on at that specific time. Anyway, she threw a fit when she had to move, I'm sure for obvious reasons. She did the same thing when she had to move from her house to the senior apartment. So she moves into this rest home that I was very familiar with and they do a good job. The lead nurse told my dad and aunt that there was no way someone of her age was completely competent and she had to have dementia. So we get her there, it was April 1, 2003 and this nurse comes in. She sits down on the bed beside Nana (Nana was sitting on the edge of the bed) and leans into her real close and introduced herself. Then she asked, in this manner like she was talking to a 5 year old, "So, what is your full name Sweetheart?" Nana loved playing dumb to these types, she knew why people treated her in this manner. She said, "Uhhhhhh, not really." The nurse said, "Do you remember your birth date?" Nana said, "Uuhhhhh not really." She said, "Do you remember the 12th President of the United States?" Of course Nana said that without hesitating, and she wasn't wrong (I couldn't answer that today lol!) Then the nurse asked, "Do you know what the day is today?" Nana said, "Uuuhhhhh I don't know." The nurse asked, "Do you know today's date?" Nana about jumped off of the bed (she would have if she could have) and said, "April Fools Day!! My name is Vivian Blanch Whitney, my birthdate is October 12, 1911, and it's April 1st, 2003. Do you have any other questions for me? Wouldn't you like to know who my 11 siblings were, or any of my cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, anyone? Anything else at all? I remember everything Brenda Hughes, Everything! I can't see your name tag but I remember your name from when you sat on the bed with me." Then she calmed down and continued,
"Oh, and you can please quit talking to me like I'm 5, I'm broke down, not senile, no dementia or Alzheimers, none of that. I have been blessed with this super sharp mind but a broken down body that won't do anything that my mind wants to. Yes, I'm 93 years old and going the way I'm going I'll be around when I'm 108. I've lived through Lupus, Mumps, Measles, Scarlet Fever, Typhoid Fever, and about 5 other diseases and I bet I can outlive more." The nurse was so shocked she redid her evaluation right on the spot and the staff never talked to her like an old lady, just someone who couldn't hear, see, or move. She got better hearing aids and got into singing and anything else she could do that didn't require much eyesight or bodily movement. She was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer about 8 months later and refused treatment. She pulled everyone including her dr and nurses into a meeting and told us all, "I'm old. I've outlived all of my 11 siblings, all close cousins, all of my aunts and uncles, and all of my close friends. My 2 kids are in their mid and late 50's, and my grandkids are in their 30's and 40's. I could probably live through the surgery but I don't think I want to endure the pain for Chemo. Just let it do what it's going to do. When I get in too much pain to bear, keep me under until I drift away." So that's what we did, she only lived 2 months longer and it was throughout her whole body, and she died in her sleep without being drugged. Apparently the cancer was one of the worst ones to have, as it was one of the fastest spreading cancers out there and the drs didn't think that Chemo would've helped her anyway, just made her sick faster.

Oh what a wonderful story. Thank you so much for sharing. It is the truth though, everyone assumes because you have a number of years you aren't capable of much. Not always so. My grandma died at 101 after having 5 of her surviving 11 children come see her, give a complete report of who was at the family reunion, why those who weren't there didn't come (couldn't stand it not to have all come as it was always on her birthday) ask who had made the chicken and dumplin' they had brought to her (picky about whose cooking she would eat--might say she was a cranky old lady) finished her bowl and told everyone to leave she was tired of looking at them. Died during her afternoon nap!!

Nana wasn't cranky at all. We had a family reunion for her too, right before she moved into the rest home. She was so happy to see everyone and she was one of those that would talk for hours without taking a breath or let anyone talk at all. Just don't get her on the phone or let her over to your house, you'll be listening to stories for Hours! She knew who was there too, everyone to a tee.

You were very lucky, mine was extremely cranky but extremely sharp!! Not a good combination at it's best.

No, that's not a good combination.

Well I am off to get showered and dressed. Couldn't get an appointment for a haircut until tonight so guess I had think about going and doing that. Hummm, good excuse to have dinner out.

Crissy really enjoyed your story..she reminds me a lot of my grandma who raised me..I remember coming home from school and she was sitting at the kitchen table, needle and thread in hand sewing up her arms - about 10"..she had been doing a wash and in those days it was a wringer washer, her arm got caught and she tore it open...when we finally got her to the hospital the doctor said he could not have done a finer job..hardly a scar ..

She also had ingrown toe nails, am sure you'll all think I'm lying, but not, she'd pull the nails from time to time off with plyers...her doctor said she had an extremely high tolerance for pain..

When she was 86 she broke her hip, rushed to Toronto and operated on..the next day she was up and walking to the washroom, when the nurse said you must be in a lot of pain she simply replied 'you have to endure pain when you live on this earth!' strong old lady....loved her to death..miss her terribly especially around the holidays..she always worked so hard in making it special..guess that's why I put so much into Christmas..keeping her traditions alive...

As for the questions asked Crissy to your grandmother...
The day after Christmas when they said Roger would not live and they sent him to a hospital to live his final days, the ambulance had to take him...while we were waiting for the ambulance which was delayed because of a stabbing nearby the hospital, the nurse would say, 'what is your name?' - 'do you know what day it is?' 'do you know what hospital you are in? etc. etc.

He'd answer and finally when the ambulance came he asked the attendants same question..said if they didn't know the answers then they'd be in big trouble with the big lady!!! funny things we remember..quick week and New Years day he was gone...No more thinking about that...

Gita, just made the post office and guess what was there...a special Christmas parcel from you..OMG everything is wonderful...

Just downstairs to get my camera...boys are spending the night tonight..Greg's Christmas party - wouldn't you know he forgot to tell me..so Kyle is gone to a show, won't be back until 9:30 or so, guess I'll take Noah who will be here in a few minutes to Midland for something to eat and I'll pick up a few things I need...in the meantime upstairs I go to take the photo's...

Went upstairs and there was Noah so off to town we went..Had a nice supper, he got to pick a jacket he liked, bought a few gifts, more fur for Santa, trim at a bargain price for the Mrs. Claus, a trip to Canadian Tire for the steamer mop for me (Darlene got one on Tuesday and is just raving about it..) back home we are waiting for Kyle to arrive then I'm off to bed..

Gita couldn't wait to put the angels in the tree..tomorrow I'll take everything at closer range for all to see...

If you look closely in the tree (toward the center) you will see an angel taking on the appearance of green tones, it's the lights making the irridecent pull in colors, Gita made me 2 angels for my silver tree downstairs, but they are so pretty I put them on the upstairs tree that way I can see their beauty..also in the tree are ornaments I received last year..can you find yours Jeannine....hard with all the lights going off and on...

You will also in tree see a couple of roses made into angels...

oops think the rose angels are in the 1st photo and Jeannine yours are in the 2nd...

Then I received 3 potporrie balls..omg they smell so nice..all the flowers were from Gita's garden...

In the above photo was a wreath with a pin in the back for my jacket..soooo cute...I've put your 2 gold angels in the cafe room...

Kyle just came in so it's bedtime for me..grandchildren can look after grandma...

Good Lord willing we'll gab tomorrow

Hi...Must be Friday, was awfully quiet!!

Oh Betty, your tree with all the l;ovely angels is beautiful.

I've enjoyed reading about your Grandmas!! Wow each incredible.

Betty, I am so glad you Love your new office!! You sounded really excited and that was great to see.

Well, today, I made an Apron! Actually finished it too...LOL, yep I sure did Liz!
Even took a picture of it for you. Turned out real nice too, I think.
Don't laugh too hard tho because the flounce part is upside down...oops. roflol, well Steve said it's great even he would wear it but
it's too ruffeley for him...hahaha.
Anyways, I also watched this show we had on DVR 9in all. My mini marathon just now ended!

Ruby, your so sweet. Thank you, right now, congrats for me is ok. lol I 've been expecting this for a while and I think it will all be ok.
thinking about taking a class. So we will see whats out there...

Well, it is very late, so i will Say Goodnight, and Good morning!

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