TerriDoodle

TracyK - being a chocoholic, yeah, I've PB'd it many a time. I remember reading somewhere that it's irritating to the esophagus.... can't for the life of me imagine why!? After all, it is a gift from Heaven!

Tracy, why aren't you getting that child support thing fixed?? It makes no sense!

Judy -- this is her first baby, right? Good thing...hopefully she'll have LOTS of time to get to the hospital. And she's a nurse, too? That could come in handy! Sorry about your crappy weather. I honestly don't know how you do it for sooooooooo long without going insane. It's been snowing there since like October??? I'm excited... DH and I decided to go for a summer trip to Steamboat Springs!!! We have friends that have a NICE condo there we can get pretty cheap and airfare is only $178. The mountains are my very favorite place to be. I just cannot wait!!! Gotta run....... TTYL

Jane, we all have moments of strength and weakness. You (and ME) are just going thru a hard time. Don't be hard on yourself! ....that makes you wanna chuck the whole thing! Just try to do better tomorrow. (((Hugs))) ***RECIPE ALERT*** I just posted in the Violet Recipe thread this delicious Mexican Style Goulash ... you must try it!!

(YUMMMMM and SUPER easy and quick!) MEXICAN STYLE GOULASH 1 lb ground beef 1 c chopped onion 1 can diced tomatoes, not drained 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes, not drained 1 cup of canned corn 1.5 tsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp oregano 2/3 c elbow macaroni 3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese sour cream Brown ground beef and onion in a LARGE skillet, then drain. Add tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano and chili powder; stir well; bring to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and stir well. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until macaroni is done. Sprinkle cheese on top, cover and let melt for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream. Serve with cornbread or biscuits. Serves 5-6 (or 12 bandsters!)

Haydee - you're fasting because it's Ash Wednesday?

Tracy, I thought about driving with you...until I saw how many HOURS it would take!! I thought about how incredibly LONG that drive home would be and blew it off. I thought your SIL was getting you a pass or something?

For Lent I'm giving up Swiss Chard.

Hi Ya'll! I'm here!! Sorry to have been away. We had our board meeting last week which seemed to go on FOREVER and I was just swamped! Then over the weekend it was here, there and everywhere with kids, dogs, chores, etc. Yesterday at work I was working on our REVISED revised budget...lots of that going on these days...and today I've been working on my own budget and moving funds around in my 401k getting my investments allocated and balanced again. Man, that is painful! OMG!! Before I forget....all of you who have HBO you must make a point of gathering the entire family around the TV to watch "Taking Chance". We watched it tonight and I was riveted. DH and I cried thru the whole thing and when it was over I said out loud, "Every American should be required to watch this movie." Uh...... no....anemia does not cause leukemia. That's like saying a cold causes lung cancer. Get an Iron supplement at the pharmacy and she'll be good as new in a couple of days. Yeah, I do that, too! I want my housekeeper to CLEAN not straighten! I need to fire mine but don't have the heart!! She's just not that good! :thumbup: ARE YOU FREAKIN' CRAZY??? You're straightening (and damaging) that BEAUTIFUL hair??? Throw the dang thing away right now!!!!!!!! Aaaaack!! I'm going to come kick your hiney!! Ok, so I'm so excited to report that my new financial plan is working!! I came in UNDER budget for February and that extra goes straight to debt payments. I have never (in my life) created a budget and stuck to it! I really am amazed at how it's helped me become so much aware of my spending! I recommend it highly! I'm also ready to book my flights to Huntsville! I'm so excited!!! TRACYINKS -- You ARE still planning to meet up with us, aren't you?? :thumbup: Got some stuff to before bed....I'll see ya'll tomorrow... I promise!

JENN - Did you ever finish your kitchen?? I don't think you posted pics of the finished product!!! Helllooooooo!?

Being so close, I've been to the Caribbean a few times already...and yes, I agree! The water is unbelievable!! Going to Mediterranean is a pipe dream....I just doubt my sister would go for it. It would be nice, though...I probably wouldn't get DH to Europe any other way!

funny you say that about cruise prices, Judy. Yesterday my sister and I were talking about spreading a portion of my mother's ashes (the rest are in a big urn at the cemetery) and spreading them on the ocean from a cruise liner. My mother LOVED cruises-- went on 8 or 10 of them I guess. She was able to do that because natural gas was discovered on some family farm land and that's how she spent her royalties. Fast forward to 2009....and now we have inherited that same land along with our 7 other cousins. It's pretty hard to manage 150 acres with 9 owners!! So we're all in agreement that we should sell the land in the next year or so. Sister and I decided we should take our portion of the proceeds and take our whole family on a nice cruise together and spread her ashes then. Isn't that just the coolest how it all ties together one last time? I think Mom was whispering in our ears yesterday! Her favorite cruises were Alaska, Norway and the Mediterranean .... hmmmmm. I vote for the Mediterranean!!!

Gosh, Michelle -- that is a tough one! My instinct is that if you say anything at all, he will probably just get defensive by saying, "Oh, no .... that's alright, we can manage." I mean I can't imagine someone that's able-bodied saying, "oh yeah, that'd be great if you'd come over and clean my house!" ...not to mention he probably wouldn't want you messing with this stuff. The only thing I can think of is "suggesting" a housekeeper that you or another neighbor have good experience with...that way it maintains his privacy. I dunno.

Good Morning Dear Friends.... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ On Friendship Kahlil Gibran Your friend is your needs answered. He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving. And he is your board and your fireside. For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace. When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay." And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart; For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed. When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain. And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught. And let your best be for your friend. If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? Seek him always with hours to live. For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness. And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Have a great day!

How ARE your hives behaving, Kat? I meant to ask you about that.

:thumbup::eek::thumbup::eek::thumbup::eek::eek::eek:

You are my IDOL!!! I am not worthy!!! Sorry been gone all day -- board meeting week here and of course they all wait until THE DAY BEFORE to dump all the work on me!! Sheesh. Speaking of....gotta run!

Thank you, Judy!! :rose:

Somebody call Kat! I can't 'cause I'm in a fishbowl here at my desk. Judy? TracyK?

Thanks for the update, Jane. Poor Kat. :thumbup:

CRAP!!!!:crying::scared2:

TracyinKS - we sure do miss you! Dontcha love us anymore? :smile: TracyK - hope you're doing good in Coushatta! I imagine those slots are pretty tight these days. Do you ever play blackjack? That's DH's game. I like video poker, but only at certain casinos! I think next time we go to Vegas I'll just take my money to the MALL! DH keeps himself very entertained at the blackjack tables and I just lose all the money he makes!!! Kinda stupid. Judy - kicking up the exercise will work. Or maybe get off the dang tuna and soy nuts!! LOL shake up your diet with, oh, I dunno.....anything else!? Janie - I can really 'hear' the difference in your posts since you got your fill! You sound so much more in control! It's a great feeling and I"m so happy for you! Hope the boogey man didn't get you! You OK? Pamela - Wow...I can't believe you're almost DONE!! What I really can't believe is just a few measly months ago you were thinking of trashing the whole project!!? So how does this process work from here?? What's next? And when do we have to start calling you Dr. K and kissing your ring? :scared2: Michelle - Does DH get back today? Is he gonna be all TAN? That would irk me more than anything! LOL Haydeeeeeeee - Hi! Whazzup in your world? Did you and Juan start your relationship counseling thing yet? How's it going? Laura - The nursery is just DARLING!! Ya'll did a fantastic job. I can't remember what you told us....what's your plan for childcare when you go back to work? How much time will you take off? Nothing new really in my world. I have been cooking almost every night for the last month which is WAY out of character for me! It's part of my austerity program :crying: But, I am actually a pretty good cook (I just hate it) and it's nice to have food in the fridge all the time! But all in all my eating has not been good -- lots of sweets and bread. I wish I could live on chocolate. I'm not gaining but my head's not in the game at all. Speaking of which, DH and I are going out for Valentine's brunch this morning...no way in hell we were gonna fight the crowds last night! Even the grocery store was about twice as busy as normal yesterday....at 10:00 in the morning!! There were lots of men in there scrambling around. LOL I suppose I've rambled enough for now.... Ya'll have a good day....and light a candle for Manda, k?

Kat - why are they wanting to move her? What can the other hospitals offer that they can't? Better specialists? I'm just heartbroken for you all. Did they ever confirm the RP dx or is that still up in the air as well? Is she eating alright? I imagine all those powerful drugs must be making her feel pretty yucky. I'm so very sorry, honey. You sound pretty good considering. You are taking SUCH good care of Kinsey, keeping her calm, happy and distracted. I can't stress enough how grateful I am that she has you. You are a WONDERFUL mom and grandmother, and that's a gross understatement. Eat all the damn ice cream you want.

ZR? No comprende. He is a freak of nature!!! :ohmy:

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. I thought I had read recently that you were at an all-time low at around 170. Then read you had bounced to 185!! ... so I was thinking you had bounced from 170 to 185 in just a couple of weeks! I know TracyinKS and Jenn can have pretty big bounces like that, so it's not unheard of ... just not in my world! My scale is very, very boring. Although I was bouncing between 181-183 for the LONGEST time... since Xmas it's more like 184-186. :w00t: