mdrai

Redneck Christmas Tree:

Good Morn, Another day... more shopping... more baking! Fa la la! Everyone have a great day!

Yay me! Just made 2 batches of Xmas cookies & didn't even lick a finger! Phew!

I can reply to that, Laura: Yes! Cook the sausage first. We make that b'fast casserole, too... mmm... you could use chopped up ham instead of the sausage if you wanted, too. I usually 1/2 it for just the 4 of us... I make the bigger one if we have co.

Hi again! M @ sb sipping a skinny cinn dolce latte waiting for my friend... life is good... must keep that in mind!!!

Hey girlies... Lots to do... am thinking of each of you... love you... am trying to keep my head in the game... trying!... hope springs eternal... I should have that tattooed across my forehead!... make it a great day!!

Just the recipe I was looking for! :thumbup: Good afternoon, Vi's~~ Well, ds's team came in 2nd, after a hard-fought game in driving freezing rain & a field of mud. What a cold, wet weekend!! We went to our friends' house & he took a long, hot shower, then we headed home... stopped for dinner... & got home around 9:30pm last night. Phew. Here's the pic after the final game (ds is the one in the back row, middle, in the black underarmour): Today I've just been trying to gather my thoughts about what needs to happen between now and Xmas... my goal is to have all shopping done by Fri, wrap over the weekend, and clean/cook next week. Oh yeah, and bake... pretty much every day. Ay yai yai! I'm not really feeling the spirit of the season yet... maybe when I'm baking w/Xmas music on... it's been too much rush rush and not enough "reason for the season" for me. Well, onward & upward! Enjoy the eve.

It's 2am & I can't sleep... I'm on my phone again. If my kids did this i'd pitch a fit! Double standard!

Hey I think I figured out how to post from my phone! Cool! Our team won both games... we're crossing our fingers for no rain tonight so we can play tomorrow. Heading out to Chinese buffet... hope everyone is well.

Hello from North Carolina! Just spent a fun evening with my friend and her family... a great meal, a couple limoncello drinks, and a couple rounds of a fun family game and we're laughed out! Time to hit the hay... have to be @ the field by 7:15am! Nighty night!

Good Morning! It's cold cold cold here... 19 or something crazy like that! They're calling for snow/sleet/freezing rain on Sunday -- ack! -- it's a 6-hr drive on a sunny, warm day... I'll be a wreck if it's nasty weather. I am nervous about that... so I just try not to think about it... what will be, will be. Everyone have a great weekend & I'll check in from NC if there's wi-fi!

Hey girlies... Quick post... the electricity was off from 6am 'til about 11am... weird... we all got ready w/flashlights! DD's concert last night was lovely. She was in 3 of the 4 ensembles that performed: jazz band, 6th grade band, & chorus. What a ham -- just like her ol' mom! Am very discombobulated... have too many things to do that are all over the map... our tree is up but not even decorated yet... hope to do that this eve w/dd... DS & I leave tomorrow morning for NC... won't be back 'til late Sunday eve... am taking the laptop, tho (ds has to write a paper), so will try to check in from the hotel. Think of me sitting all bundled up watching soccer games on Sat & Sun! I'm hoping that I'll mail out my ss gift on Monday. Everyone have a fun, festive, safe weekend. Count your blessings.

Good Morning, Girlies... I got an early Xmas gift yesterday... a new cell phone! Splurged on the new "droid", the Verizon version of the iphone! Talk about a lot to learn! Last night the 1.5 hrs @ soccer flew by as I played w/it... I can get on the Web and even came here, but I couldn't log in to post for some reason, just read. I've still got a lot of learnin' to do with it! But I love that I have everything w/me... e-mail, calendar, I can text, games, apps... yay! We've got a weird snow/ice/rain combo happening here... I'm planning on staying inside 'til tonight, when, if it's not cancelled, dd is performing in the school's Winter concert... she's in all the groups performing: band, jazz band, and chorus! Janie: The job is screaming... are you hearing it? Pam: Beautiful! Love your mountain! Judy: How frightening! I'm glad she's ok. Sounds like an entertaining time @ the ER! Haydee: All my good thoughts w/your family! Heather: Good luck w/the fill. What business are you in? Tracy: Hi! Hope all is well!! Enjoy Wednesday!

Hey there, hi there, ho there... We're supposed to get an ice "event" tonight thru tomorrow... so am rushing around trying to do my today AND tomorrow errands all today, because I'm not going out in ice! "Bread! Milk! Toilet paper!" Pam, you paint such a detailed picture, it's as if I were there, walking into Wal-Mart wondering if the homeless woman puking into the palm tree would be ok... you have the most dramatic pb's, hands down!! & Haydee, loved your explanation of band variables -- too true! Judy, there's an invention for you: canine lap bands!! :thumbup: Thanks for giving me an idea on what to make for dinner tonight!! Hi Janie! If they have motivation @ the North Pole, then yeah, I'd like some, too!! Hear that, Santa?? Off to run errands... everyone laugh today!

Yay, Laura! OMG, Haydee -- living here, that is ALL we've heard about for the past 2 weeks! Well, that + the Tiger fiasco. Wow, talk about a double life! Sounds like you've got the perfect rainy afternoon planned, Pam! The vet still hasn't shown. Hmmm...

Oh yeah, my cell phone is dead as a doornail... I'm hoping Santa brings me a new one... so it's a no-go on the texts for me for awhile... e-mail is the bestest way to reach me via technology! I wish I could jet out to your party & be an honorary lesbian again for the weekend... but most likely I'll be driving to NC for a soccer tournament weekend! DH was going to do it, but w/his back he doesn't think he'll be able to sit still + drive that long... so it'll be me & ds in NC (ugh, I hate being the only driver for that drive... it's like 5-6 hours!) & dh & dd will stay here as dd has a jumper show on Sunday. Confusing, I know. Welcome to my life. Still waiting for the vet... she has 4 minutes to make it in her "window" of time... lol... like I won't answer the door if she shows up @ 11:10! Haydee, your weekend sounds perfect! It would *never* have occurred to me to put a mattress in the living room! You sneaky girl!

Good Monday Morn, Girlies~~ I meant to report back yesterday, but the day got away from me... sorry! DH got 3 different meds for his back: a pain killer (that makes him giggle), a steroid zip pack, and a muscle relaxer. Both ER & doc have been assuming that it's a pinched nerve-type thing, but no tests to confirm that (v. a slipped disc or something). He's going to call his ortho today for an app't. He can't drive, so he's home today at least. Poor guy. Last night was the HS soccer banquet. DS received his varsity letter & pin, which we knew he earned. He also was awarded with the "Rookie of the Year" plaque AND was voted by the other Region coaches as the Honorable Mention Goalkeeper for the all-state team! As a sophomore! That's the 3rd in the state in our division! Quite an achievement for a 14yo (he's 15 now, but was 14 during the season). So proud! The vet comes today for the cats' annual check-up... wish Mo luck! :thumbup: I caught the end of Desperate Housewives, Judy -- now there's something you don't see every day! Yay to Bob on the position -- of course they liked him the best! You got a Snuggli, Pam -- so funny! My kids like to say, "It's just a backwards bathrobe!" Janie, glad your knee is feeling better! Hi Laura & Haydee!! Make it a great day, everyone!

Good Sunday Morn, Vi's~~ DH has somehow wrenched his back and is in excrutiating pain, can't bend, sit, stand... it's been bothering him for a week or so, he went to the doc & got some anitinflams, but yesterday it was sooo much worse & still is today... soooo... it's off to the ER for us this morning! BBL...

Don't get me wrong... I love snow... in its place -- like Michigan & Alaska, lol! I love it on a day when I don't have to go anywhere... but today I had to take ds to his indoor soccer game (they won 7-0) and dd to riding & back... + stop at the grocery store where everyone was doing the "Bread! Milk! Toilet Paper!" snow freak-out. If I'm getting snowed in (which we're not), then I want the good stuff--shrimp! brie! brownies!--not BMTP! :w00t: Hope everyone had a good day! A pedi sounds devine!

Oh Ju-dy... I've found your missing snow... it must've lost its way to MI and ended up HERE -- on my doorstep! Please come and retrieve it asap... it is not supposed to be here so early in the season! :wink2:

I always wondered what your middle name was, Judy! :wink2: My father was a professional musician by night & a HS band & orchestra director by day. My sister is an elementary school music teacher & singer... I played violin from age 3 - college... so yeah, musical talent runs in our family! So glad ds has found his musical passion. My tree arrived today! The boys put it together, and now I have to "bend & fluff" the branches. I've been bending & fluffing for 45 mins already and I'm on only the 2nd round of branches! Phew! Am going to take a break & resume in the morning. Sweet dreams, everyone!

I'm emotional today, too, Pam. I dunno why. Not sad... more of just sensitive, feeling things deeply. I was listening to the local, annual "Christmas Cash for Kids" drive on the local news radio station as I was driving around this morning (it's been going on all week) and I burst into tears at one of the stories of a guy who's unemployed & can't make ends meet who donated his last $1 earlier in the week... it was so touching... I'd pledged earlier in the week & stopped by the station to drop it off and it's just so amazing the energy of so many folks coming together to help kids. Cue the waterworks! I'm home now, working on a few things... dh took a sick day today and I didn't know why 'til about 20 mins ago... the World Cup Draw is today! 3-hour hoop-la & he's glued to the set. Have I ever mentioned how soccer-crazy my guys are? :wink2:

Good Friday Morn, Vi's~~ Had a good day yesterday... met a friend for coffee in the a.m., did some Xmas shopping, then my Mom came up for ds's concert & spent the night. The concert was AMAZING! I can hardly express my pride for ds for this accomplishment... from back in September @ 14 when he walked into a room full of adult, experienced jazz musicians, sat down, took out his sax, and played with them... that he was good enough that they kept him in the group... everything he has learned from them, the stories they tell, the life lessons he's learned as well... to last night, when he solo'd in front of a packed crowd and did great -- and then at the end of the piece the leader called him up front and introduced him & his age, and spoke such kind words about him and his talent... wow... my heart bursts in happiness for him... As I type this, I'm sitting @ the car dealership getting an oil change... I'm the worst @ car maintenance... I think I'm 6,000 miles overdue!... so here I am. I'm balancing my laptop on, well, my lap... awkward, but it'll do. My Christmas tree arrived yesterday! But the box is too heavy, so DH & I will do the "re-arrange the family room / set up the tree" dance this eve... can't wait to see it in action! There's a switch to flip the lights between white/multi/both... Then we'll watch holiday shows & deck the halls this weekend... coco and cookies... & then it'll really start feeling like the holidays! Make it a great day, everyone!

Argh, Judy... how frustrating! I'm sorry that the situation still isn't resolved for you. BUT... love the sassy 'do! :sad: Am so tired this a.m... a second night of not getting to bed 'til after midnight... ds's jazz band has its big concert tonight, so last night they practiced from 7 'til after 11pm! I snuck into the auditorium when I went to pick him up and they really sound so good... I'm so impressed w/ds for playing in the college group w/all adults and even several professional jazz musicians! Tonight should be great... albeit long... Make it a good one, ladies!

Judy, I want to see a pic of you w/the spiky hair! (and don't say there's one on Facecrack!) Fingers crossed for the church meeting tonight! 1/2 way through my work & I'm cross-eyed checking all these corrections & Tables of Contents! Ack!