Weekend Recap...

WooHoo!!! I just HAD to step on the scales this morning to see what damage I did to myself the past couple of days. I stayed the same! Whew!! Because I just had to have a piece of cake Friday and another one last night. But never fear I sent MOST of the rest of it home with the kids and the rest (that wouldn't fit in the containers I had) is in a pan right now with other garbage being dumped on top of it. So no more cake for me. We even went out to eat last night before the movie and I couldn't resist the homemade "pot bread." This place uses little souffle dishes to bake their bread in. It is sooooo wonderful. Normally when I go there I ask them not to bring the bread but since it was more than just me I didn't want to do that to the others and I also just can NOT have it on the table without eating some. But on that I really didn't over do it.

The movie we went to see was the new James Bond flick. It was so good that about a half hour into it I fell asleep and woke up when the credits rolled. They told me I didn't miss much because it was very confusing. How's that for an expensive nap?

I'm a bit on the nervous side right now because we were having a freezing rain when the kids left this morning. They called me when they got over the first set of mountains and to the interstate and I checked the weather for them and looks like they will just have rain for the remainder of their trip. They promised to call me periodically to let me know they were safe and they always call when they get home.

So my home is back to normal. My dogs are still a little on the skittish side. They aren't sure the puppy is gone as of yet but it won't take them long to get back into the swing of things.

Oh, I watched a great movie this morning. It was called "Freedom Writers" and it is a true story about a teachr (I tend to watch all the teacher movies out there) and it was a really great one.

Gonna go now and check on what's going on in your lives. Sorry, I didn't have time last night to do that, but I've got plenty of time now.

Movie NSV...

My daughter was tickled pink with the puppy. And the puppy was thrilled with her new Mommy too. The wee one got a lot of lovin'.

And helped Mommy play cards.

Had a great visit even though it was short. They are leaving early in the morning to head back home.

We went to a movie tonight and I didn't even eat one kernel of pop corn. It smelled sooooo goooood.

Didn't do too badly on "the" big meal, but enjoyed a little of everything. Now I've got to buckle down and get this last 30 pounds off. I may be ready to get back with it. Think I'll sleep on that thought.

A New Member to the Family...

Hope you had a wonderful day with family and friends.

As most of you (in the USA) are crawling into bed sated on turkey and all the trimmings I am getting ready to start mine in the morning. Got my cake baked today and it is a whopper. It made too much to put into the three loaf pans like I had planned so I had to bake it in a 13x9 pan. I almost screwed it up. It called for 1 cup of crushed pineapple and I just threw the whole (20 oz) can in without looking at the recipe. So it took a little longer to bake to get done but it sure smells gooooooood.

Now I can share with you the reason I took a 6 hour trip last Saturday. I went to pick up a Mini Schnauzer puppy for my oldest daughter. I am so anxious for her to get here tomorrow to see her reaction. It is a total surprise Christmas present. She has an Australian Shepherd that is 13 years old. The Ausie had some problems a couple of weeks ago with some weird fleas and is partially paralyzed. When the troubles started her fiance called and asked if I would get her a puppy for Christmas. I had already thought of it and had it in the makings at that time. My daughter has wanted a Schnauzer for several years so this is the opportune time to make that wish come true.

The week I've had with the puppy has been a real experience. My dogs hate her!!!! They feel that Mommy has forsaken them and even though I'm not giving the pup a whole lot of love (so she won't bond with me) they think I don't love them any more. The first night I put the puppy in a crate and she cried and howled ALL night long. Boy, was my butt dragging the next day. The crate is now on the porch out of the way because I just couldn't spend another night like that. It's also been a real joy watching the pup learn and grow in just a week. When I brought her home she was having a hard time walking around and I think that was because she'd been in a cage all her life and never had a lot of room to walk around. It didn't take her long to learn that she had a lot of area to walk around and she finally learned how to run. She takes off across the floor and still has a little problem and ends up tumbling "ass over tea kettle" as my great grandmother used to say. And she finally learned how to "follow the feet", "follow the feet", "follow the feet." I've gotten pretty good at getting her outside to tinkle but am having a hard time timing her poopy cycle. I know it's supposed to be after she eats but she isn't doing it like she is supposed to. Thank goodness that won't be my responsibility after tomorrow.

Guess I'd better hit the sack so I can get my bird stuffed and in the oven on time tomorrow.

My Thanksgiving Day...

One more day 'til cooking, family and friends for most of us here in the USA. So here's an early wish for you all.

We didn't get the ice storm, thank goodness. We have gotten more snow but only a dusting both Monday and Tuesday. I think there was really more than a dusting but you see, the winds blow up here on this mountain in the winter time like crazy and it just blows it all off to the east of me. I would wager that the winds hit 40 miles per hour in some of the gusts and it is really spooky with all the trees around me but somehow they manage to stay up-right. ::knock on wood:: So all in all the prediction was 4-6 inches but with the winds it was just a dusting.

Gonna have to make a trip into town today to get a few last minute things that the other store didn't have last Saturday.

My company (daughter and her fiance and one of his daughters from NJ) aren't coming until Friday. They are stopping in Roanoke, VA to spend "Turkey Day" with his grandfather. He hasn't spent much time with him in the past couple of years and his health is failing so he wants to spend at least one day with him. So my cooking will be on Friday. They will get to eat 2 Thanksgiving dinners. Made me proud when my daughter told me how tickled she was that I was cooking turkey and all the trimmings for Friday. She said thank goodness that she'd get to eat the real thing when she got to my house.

I will be doing my baking tomorrow and the major part of the cooking on Friday. I'm only baking one cake for the occasion. It's going to be a carrot cake with all kinds of yummies in it and cream cheese icing. Gonna bake it in three small loaf pans and that way they can take the left overs home with them in the loaf pans. Yea, boy, I'm gonna have at least one piece and try real hard to make it ONLY one piece. My other plans for eating off kilter will be the dressing and broccoli casserole. Well, I may have some mashed potatoes with a little bit of gravy on them and one roll, but hey, it's Thanksgiving and I don't think I could cook all that stuff and not have a little bit of it. They have requested candied yams and that will be prepared too but I won't be having any of them. There will be plenty of other stuff to enjoy and I can have baked sweet potatoes any time.

Last year it was just me and the dogs and I did make a turkey breast with all the trimmin's. I was very conscious of my food intake then and since it was only me I made everything weight friendly. That won't be the case this year so I will just be careful and have small portions so that I can enjoy the flavors without going overboard. The cake is the only thing I will probably have problems with and that is a new one for me since I usually don't crave sweets, but it is my mothers old recipe and it brings back a lot of memories. If I'm going to eat sweets it is usually pies that I can't turn down and that is the main reason I won't be baking any pies this year.

So, to all of you out there in blog-land. Have a really wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Just a Peek...

Things are going alright for me right now. Food intake has been healthy (mostly). Except for the burger I had last night for supper but it was the first red meat I've had in over a week (and I'm not counting the burger on the road on Saturday, when traveling that doesn't count, right?) and it was 93/7 lean. I even had it on light bread at 35 calories per slice so that was good. Actually the burger wasn't all that bad after all. But then I did have a chocolate chip cookie last night. It was one of those "Mini" mixes and boy was it good. It kept me from snacking all evening.

I've been hitting the bed early (for me) lately. I'm worn out by 10:00 and that is very odd. Course I'm up and wide awake early too so maybe my sleep schedule is just changing. When I get up that early it makes for a very loooonnnngggg day. And now that it is getting dark earlier I start getting sleepy very soon after dark. I hate (as I'm sure you do too) switching back and forth between regular time and daylight savings time. I just wish they'd pick one and stick with it. I don't care which one they pick as long as it stays the same.

Keeping my scales covered has really helped me from obsessing over my eating. But I keep thinking that maybe I should take a peek just to make sure things aren't going in the wrong direction (especially after the cookie last night). Think I'll take a peek, hold on while I go check....................cool, they're staying the same. Whew!!

Have a great week getting ready for Turkey Day.

Snow Pictuers...

I had a request for snow pictures, so here they are. These were taken last Monday during the storm.

The first one is of my closest neighbor. The one that comes up only during hunting season and causes me to have to pull my blinds so that he won't get an eye full.

The second one is the dragon in my yard. I call hime Mountness. Sort of a play on words, get it? Lockness/Mountness.

Sun is out today and the snow is melting. Sure hope the ice storm they were predicting for tomorrow doesn't show it's ugly face.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog...

I made it home safely from my little trip. It took me 3 hours one way because the roads near me weren't in great shape. Kinda icy going over the first mountain. So, I drove nice and slow and pulled over a lot to let the lunatics that wanted to speed pass me.


Got this cartoon in the mail from my sister-in-law. She cut it out of First magazine and I just had to share it with you.






I wasn't real good on the road. Got hungry and the only place to stop was a fast food place, so I got a plain cheeseburger and took off one of the buns. Alas, they didn't have chicken. Actually this place's specialty is biscuits and I knew if I got anything on a biscuit I'd eat the WHOLE thing. Was hungry coming home too but waited until I got home and had a piece of left over chicken. That satisfied for a little while but I'm going to have to have something else sooooooonnnnnnn.

Stopped at a grocery store (the same franchise I shop at in my town) in a little town on my way home and they had very little of the stuff I normally buy. They didn't even have any light bread and only one kind of whole wheat bread to boot. Sure glad I don't live there. I wouldn't be able to stay on this healthy eating life style. Their produce area was the pits too.

Have a great Sunday!!

Bread and a Trip...

Ok, first of all about the bread. I buy light wheat bread for my half sammies. It usually takes me 2 weeks before I buy another loaf and then I have to throw away part of the one I have left. But for some reason just knowing the bread is getting low makes me want sandwiches more. Does that happen to you with anything? So that's why I've been stressing over it.

Now about the trip tomorrow. I think I'm going to have to call the person and postpone it until Sunday. It is snowing like crazy here. Already another 3 inches. Supposed to be in the 40's on Sunday and sunny so that means that the driveway will definitely melt. This trip is to pick up something for my daughter in NJ for Christmas. Want to have it for when they come for Thanksgiving. Can't tell you what it is yet since she does have this web address and she never reads my blogs (or never mentions reading them) but sure as I mention what it is here she'll check in to see what I write about. So, I'll share it with you after Thanksgiving.

Just hope the weather clears up the first of the week so I can go to the grocery and get the Thanksgiving provisions. Course if I can't that means that they won't be able to get here either and there won't be any reason to cook that kind of meal.

This is really weird that we are having so much bad weather this early. The last time this happened we had a REALLY bad winter.

The daughter in NJ is trying her best to talk me into going home with her until Christmas. I just don't want to do that. I want to be home. I like my home and I'm more comfortable here. She even tries to entice me with her high speed Internet. But again, that's not enough. And besides her fiance has a 4 year old that is there half the time and I'm just too old to put up with a youngin' that age for any period of time. It wears me out!

Have a great weekend y'all.

Donna's back...

Donna's back! Woo Hoo!! Drop by and give her a shout.

I think winter has arrived in my mountains. I don't care what the calendar says, it's here, here. Snowing again but just little, teeny, wee flakes. Sure hope it doesn't amount to much since I have a 5 hour (round) trip to take on Saturday. I figure the main roads will be clear but I hope my driveway is passable for when I get home.

Not much happening in my life. I woke up at 5:00 this morning, wide awake. What's with that anyway? My butt's been draggin' all day and I have tried to lay down and nap but it just won't come.

I discovered some bagels and hamburger buns in my freezer so now I don't have to worry about running out of bread before Saturday. Just had to tell you all about that because I know that you were really worried about me running out. Yea, right.

The Catalogue...

I just took a trip down memory lane, through a catalog. Actually they called it a "catalogue." It's from The Vermont Country Store. This is a small catalog and if you're like me I always start at the back and work my way forward. This was the right thing to do because all the "Olden Days" stuff is in the back. I can remember setting and going through a catalog much like this one with my grandmother.


Gosh I hadn't thought of some of these things in a long time. If you're over the hill (Hill? What hill? I didn't see no stinkin' hill.) like me you may remember some of these things too. There was Ralston Hot Wheat Cereal. And Fizzies drink tablets. And do you remember the little magnetic trick dogs?

They even had some of the old "timey" clothes that my grandmother used to order. Wow, that was fun.

Did you know that when I was little they didn't have tooth paste? It was tooth powder that we sprinkled in our palm, wet the tooth brush and dipped it into the powder. We didn't have roll on or spray deodorant either. It came in a little jar with round wipes inside. And no TV either! Yep, no TV. Can you imagine being that old?

I know I don't usually post more than once a day but I just had to share that with you.