SoCal, I agree that was rude not to have let you know they needed to cancel the flu shot clinic. I don't know when I'll get mine. I'm not getting the daily paper anymore. We get a small 'news' paper once a week but nothing has been mentioned about any clinics in that.

Lobo, you live in your son-in-laws family's home? how odd that is! That wouldn't happen here in my neck of the woods. If he didn't want to live in it, then a brother would have the opportunity. But an in-law? Nah! Your house does sound lovely. How lucky you are! I envy you. I wish I still had my country home. Just too much to keep up for me alone tho.

We've been having the most gorgeous weather... and expected to continue for awhile. It just isn't as warm as it looks. I wish I had the energy to go with it. It's 8:30 p.m. & I still have both doors open. Tomorrow is my annual exam w/the oncologist. I'm a bit nervous but I'll make it! Basically they'll draw blood, he'll ask me how I feel, I'll mention the hernia & surgery, he'll make & send me to an appt. w/that Dr. hopefully (same building) & also make an appt. for an annual mammogram! (Still pill hill but different building & area). Just like every year! And renew all my meds and I'll be out the door! Then I suppose I go back to my regular physician if I need to? heck, she probably doesn't even remember I am her patient, she hasn't seen me in so long!

It's a good thing some Dr.'s offices call prior to your appointment.. I've had the card on my fridge for a yr. saying it was at 3p.m. & they called today & said it was at 2 p.m. (Blood draw) Dr. appointment is 2:15.... ok?!

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"Dieting is only wishful shrinking."

Lobo, your sil sounds like a real good soul! God is going to bless him for being so kind to you and your husband. He's going to get his socks blessed off!

Danni, I hope your appointment goes well. Let us know how it went! I prayed for you. It's been either windy and cool, or hot and muggy here. Sometimes it's both in the same day. I wish it'd just stay cool. Of course, since I've been opening the windows, I've been finding a lot more bugs inside. I have seen beattles, centipedes, lots of spiders, and little nats. I think some are coming in under the baseboards from outside. The wood and ceramic floors are not flush to the walls, because of settling. I caulked some of the baseboards when the ants were coming in. I think I need to do all of them. Want to come help me? Ha ha!

How's Gabby and Molly doing? Are you getting used to the new neighbors? I saw a funny looking Pit Bull mix yesterday, and thought about you. He was really cute! Can you believe I said that? He was some kind of a mut. He was real big, and looked like a little pony! He had a chocolate brown, and white mapped face, but from his neck down he was greyish-white, and had black spots just like a horse. He was just sitting and smiling real big with the wind blowing in his face watching the cars go by, while his owner was putting up a fence. He looked so happy!

SoCalGal, when we went to Wally's yesterday, they had a sign up that they were giving flu shots. The sign said something about the H1N1 flu shot. I just assummed that was the shot they were giving. Maybe it said they didn't have it yet? You make me want to go back, and see if that's what it said, or if it said that's the shot they were giving?

I'm sorry for all the trouble you took to go get your vaccine to find out it was delayed. I hope that doesn't happen again. What a pain!

Sounds like your mom likes her beans, just like I like mine. The only extra things I do is start off with some kind of browned meat like sausage, ham or bacon. I add salt, black pepper, and sugar for sure. The other things I add to it, if I have it in the fridge, is diced celery, onion or green onion, a little garlic, chopped bell pepper, parsley, and a bay leaf. Sometimes I add some dried Tyme. I wouldn't of thought to add ginger, because that's an Asian or Indian spice. Good idea! I bet it does taste good in sweet red beans. I bet you could add a little Allspice, Clove or any of those fragrant spices, and it'd be good. I don't add hot peppers. That's always on the table to add for yourself, if you want it. If I have some boudin, then I wouldn't put any kind of meat, or anything special in my beans. I'd do them simply like your mom does, and let the boudin be the star of the meal. I love broiled boudin!

My son said I should get the security system hooked up. I'm not going to let some punk kid burgulars scare me! We've had burgulars before. I know how to protect myself. Wink! Wink!

My kid has been playing Halo 3, and after 8 months he got Recon Armour achievement. Well, he said that as soon as he won, instead of being happy for him or congratulating him, his friends he plays with on the Xbox Live were saying things like, "I hate you!", and some of them immediately removed his name from their 'friends list'. He said that when he went to school, 'all' of his friends, including kids that he doesn't even know, were telling him they hated him. They were kicking, punching, and slightly choaking him. He said he was going to go tell the principle, and one of the kids said, "And, what are they going to do about it?" Can you believe that? That is an extreme form of jealously! I'm kind of worried about him. Who knows what those teenagers will do next? You remember kids getting shot for their tennis shoes! That's the first thing I thought of. I wrote his Special Education teacher, and asked her to do something about it. She will. She makes sure he stays on task at school, so he doesn't get behind, because of that English Literature class he has so much trouble in. He was sobbing as he was telling me what happened. I'm more worried about sending my kid to school than I am about any burgulars. What a shame!

Hey, Lobo! Which kind of pears are you canning? My mom has pear trees. I'm not sure what variety they are. They're the hard green pears. They make pear preserves, and she makes pear pies. The kids love the pear pie. I think it's good too. If you have the hard pears, why not make one and try it? Just do it like you'd do a fresh apple pie.

I am thinking about getting my kids vaccinated with the h1n1 flu nasal swab. They said that people 50 and older usually reject the virus, because they had something similar when they were kids. I'm just barely 49, but I bet I fall into that catagory.

The teacher is going to talk to my kid about the bullying. I'm hoping that one of the other kids wins Recon Armour soon, so it won't be such a big deal. What a horrible reaction some kids have to those video games! I remember when they were playing Rune Scape, how hyper his friends in the neighborhood used to get about not being as caught up in the game as some of the longer players. They used to argue and beg for items and money, so they could further themselves in the game. It got pretty heated! I had canceled my kid's Live account, so he couldn't talk to his friends anymore. It was already paid through the end of October. So, now I took away his games and controller, so he can't play at all. I don't know when he'll get it back.

There's 2 charity trucks coming next week, so I hope we can finish going through the things in the den this weekend. I threw out a lot of wedding favors, cards and letters I had saved. It'll take awhile to go through photographs. That'll have to be a later project. I guess I should learn how to scrapbook, or go buy those photo storage boxes. What do you do with all your photos? I have 2 computer boxes full of photos to go through. I don't wanna! Dh doesn't want me to get rid of this box of t-shirts we collected in college and while he was in the army, but what are we saving them for? He probably wants me to make a quilt out of them. Ugh! And, I guess I'll mow one more time. Later~

Maryjo, are you okay?

Lobo, you are just so multi-talented you put us all to shame! A truly smart lady! I love canned pears. But my Dr. once told me they are the most acidic. Who knew? So I don't eat them often. I love a pear apple pie. It's good.

PB, I'm so sorry those kids are jealous of your sons accomplishment with the game and are treating him badly. I'm glad I'm not a kid these days or have some now. It's a different world. It seems all we had to deal with was kids jealous of a fancier bike.... but steal it? Never! Everyone would know where it came from & rat them out!

I haven't heard alot about that H1N1 flu nasal spray. But I hate those spray type thingies and thought I'd wait til they were doing a shot for it. I am going to do the regular flu shot again this year. And the Dr. yesterday thought I should do the H1N1 for the same reason. The pneumonia shot I had last year is good for 3 so I'm not needing that.

The Dr. appointment went well... same-o, same-o. Only he forgot to have them make me a mammogram appointment! I asked if I really needed to do it again as I had one last year! I got my meds renewed for the coming yr. & that's what I was most concerned about.

I'm not going to have a hernia operation! He said there would be no guarantee it wouldn't pop back out again because of where it is. Pulling the lawn mower cord could pop it back out again! And did I really want to spend 2 days in the hospital and 6-8 wks for recovery doing very limited activity? Well, no, now that you put it that way! So we decided I could use a Popsicle stick & duck tape and force that suc.ker down! He said he has one male patient that paints a face on his... I could do that! It's right under the breast bone.... like a 3rd boob. I figure I probably got it from all the up-chucking early on when I first started food again after that total over-haul surgery they did OR they took the staples out too soon. Also said it's just a muscle they tormented 2 ways during that surgery & it won't strangle anything. So I guess I'm safe and will live with the pain it causes. I told him I had found some Spanx high waisters and they did help hold it in. They come right up under your bra but are down right uncomfortable and you feel like a sausage in a roll! Plus they are super warm so you can't be wearing them all yr. long.

Gas prices are way down. It's 2.72. That's down 30 cents a gallon here from my last fill up almost a month ago. This is good!

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"Dieting is only wishful shrinking."

Hey, Lobo! I thought the board was gone. I don't think I've ever seen it move to the second page! I thought maybe someobody complained, or it was against the rules to have this board here. Hum? I guess I panicked for nothing!

I wish sometimes that I hadn't of made my boys so soft. I never let them go outside and do all that kicking and wrestling with the other kids, and if I saw them doing it, I'd make them come inside the house. Maybe I should of let them do it, so they could toughen up? I don't know.

Danni, I'm glad you had such a good discussion about your hernia with your doctor. I feel much better knowing it's not one of those that can strangle your intestines or something, and cause you even more problems! That's why I had my son's fixed when he was little. It was right on his lower intestines near his right hip. It looked horrible, and he screamed his head off when it poked out. It was all purple! I guess he was born with a hole in his abdomin wall? He was all smiles the morning after his operation. Dh and I thought he was so sweet laying in that huge hospital bed, smiling in his little yellow hospital gown. He was so little! He never acted like it bothered him at all. The only time he seemed to notice it was when the stitches started healing, and he wanted to scratch it.

Why don't you just wear a mid-section body shaper to hold your hernia in? They have them here at HSN. They're made of the stretchy lightweight spandex. I wonder if that'd work?

It's about to rain here. It's turning dark outside. There's a coldfront moving in. We're going to be in the 50's & 60's all this coming week. I hope I can find some cheap sweatpants. I think Walmart stopped carrying the Hane's sweats. I think I have to go to K-mart.

Danni, I didn't want to tell you, but gas has been $2.16 here for quite awhile. I think it's supposed to drop to under $2.00 a gallon. That's what they said on the news.

Well, I'm going to make a pot of chilli, and hopefully the LSU Tigers are playing on one of our local channels. They're going against the Florida Gators. They won last weekend.

HI everyone...just wanted to stop by and offer you each a bowl of home made split pea soup, hot off the stove !!

Did you know that 1/4 cup of dried split peas has 44% of your daily fiber. I am a great believer in a high fiber diet, I found a double fiber bread that has 26% in just one slice and it really is good tasting, especially with peanut butter,another high fiber food...

Hope you are all well,happy and taking good care of yourselfes...after all if you don't...who will ??

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I'll have some split pea soup, Lobo! I'm going to buy a spiral sliced ham, and save the bone to make a pot of split pea & ham soup later this year. That was so yummy when we did it last year.

I have been trying to put more fiber in our diets. Fiber from vegetables and fruits, mostly. Like this week, one night I steamed a whole cauliflower, and 2 bunches of brocolli for dinner. I'll put a whole bag of peeled carrots in the pot when I cook a roast. I buy grapes, apples, etc..., and keep raisins in the snack boxes. Also, I've been buying whole grain breads, popcorn, and more whole grain pasta & rice products. I add celery to just about everything. Plus, I cook lots of beans, artichokes, sweet potatoes and things like that.

Danni, I didn't know you were that far into your 50's. You sure don't look or act your age! You should see her, Lobo. She looks like a 30 yr. old!

I don't know if that hernia affects your asophagus, but I thought it might. I hope it doesn't! That's too bad you couldn't find a waist cincher to fit you. Seems pulling your pants up high, and them rolling down would be a pain. What about one of those long line braziers? I saw one of those, and thought about you. Seems that'd hold that hernia in. Hum?

My aunt had a lower hernia. She said she got it picking up my kid when he was a toddler. Thanks for the guilt trip! Right? She didn't say anything when she held him. Later, she said that picking him up gave her a hernia. I bet she already had one, or she got it later moving furniture or something. She's always redecorating her house.

Gas is up to $2.25 today, Danni. I had heard it was going to come down. But, the dollar is down now, so maybe that's why? I don't know. I saw a 12 pack of Coke at the store for $5.75. That's rediculous! Coke has made gazillions. Why do they need to raise their prices so high? It's just sugar and water! I'll drink iced tea, and Koolaid before I pay that much for a 12 pack. We bought some the other day, and it was 3 12 packs for $11.00. I made the oldest pay for the drinks. He got paid with 2 checks again. They gave him 20 hours of sick leave. I never heard of part time workers earning sick or annual leave. I never saw sick leave on any of his stubs. And, then at his meeting yesterday, he got a certificate of achievement. We have a lucheon to go to next week, so we can tell the Navy how his working there has improved his life. I'm going to make dh stand up and read it. I wonder if he's been getting all this money, the raise, and the award, so that we'll give a glowing statement? Well, I would of anyway. He loves working there. Everyone is so nice to him, and he likes making his own money.

My other kid has a new friend. He came home with 2 kids after school today. One is good looking, and really big, like a football player. He looked very mature for a High Schooler. It's his new best friend. I don't think he'll get picked on at school anymore! Actually, everything is cool now. No more incidences.

Cometgirl, congratulations on getting a new laptop! I was wondering how you are doing? I was a bit worried about you after what you'd told us about work.

I'm really sorry that is why your son was taken out of school. I hate fighting! It's so immature. I used to tell the principle if I knew about a fight that was going down later at school. I was a big narc! Nobody ever suspected that I was a tattletale. He he!

I don't know where Maryjo is. We haven't seen her here. Has anyone emailed with her? I hope she's okay! I meant to tell her that I got that 3 section Cover Girl blush, she'd told me to get. I got the Pure Plum. It's nice, and was inexpensive. I like that color.

Danni, I meant to tell you that I just read in the newspaper that they're going to give school children the H1N1 vaccinations in the schools here. Yea!!! I hope it starts soon. I'm so glad. Now, I just have to get the oldest vaccinated. I'm definately getting him vaccinated, because he works around so many people going through the meal line. I might get vaccinated too. Good that you & Cometgirl got your flu shots! I hope SoCalGal finally got hers.

SoCalGal, there's a website I saw that supports the cure for pancriatic cancer. I forget the web address, but when I see the commercial again, I'll write it down and send it to you. Actually, I think I might still remember, so I'm going to try and see if I'm right. If I am, I'll forward it to you.

Well, I have to get dinner started. It's been a hectic busy week!

Good morning cyber friends!
It's Monday again,where did the weekend go ??

I think it is so great that some of you can actually email each other...I have made a few very good cyber friends over the years that I was able to give my addy .....And a few that I am very glad DON'T have my email addy....LOL...NONE of you are in that group btw !!!


DANNI, my aunt has a lot more tummy trouble in the late summer/early fall. She has to avoid food with seeds or skins, like beans, corn ,tomatos, so she makes chili w/o beans etc.

I wish I looked like I was in my 30s but alas I look like what I am... very mature....LOL

So far I have fried beets ,and made a grilled cheese on the wood burner...it's a start ...mostly I have to plan on starting thing sooner, it just takes a little longer...

PB, I cringe every time I grocery shop...prices just seem to keep going up and up..I got a deal on Pepsi a few weeks ago, bought 4 ,12 packs for $12.00 and got one free, so we are good on Dew & Pepsi for a long time...hubby takes one in his packed lunch every day.

HI to Socal & MARYJO...hope you are both doing well !!

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a very-good morning to all....we have sunshine...

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"smile it's free"!!! "gotta -love-it" !!!!

I hope I can do this. 3'rd time's a charm, right? Well, this is my 4'th time! I keep trying to post and either it didn't go through, or someone interrupted me.

Been so busy around here, running here and there.

Danni, my daughter came up to me last night, and asked, "So mom, how are you enjoying your 50's?" I was like, "I'm not in my 50's!" She's so kooky! She knows how old I am.

Have your gas prices gone up? They're up to as much as $2.46 around here. Ouch! I wonder why they rose so fast? It's not summer.

I went to my kid's first Annual Family Day Luncheon at work. I got to stand up and speak to a room full of both civilian and military personel, and tell them what working there has meant to my son. The couple sitting across from me leaned over and said, "You did a very good job!" I've never spoken in public, or to such a large crowd before. I took speech in college, and always wanted to do it. Afterwards, one of the bosses asked if she could take our picture? I guess we're going to be in their next magazine. Anyway, that was fun!

Danni, I hope your stomach problems are settled. Lobo has a good point. It could be the skin on the fruits and vegtables bothering you. Why don't you try peeling everything for awhile? And, maybe you could try switching to creamed corn. See if that helps.

I've gotten red grapes twice. I couldn't believe how sweet they've been! I haven't had such sweet grapes since I was a kid. They were so good.

Lobo, I got dried beans, and peas for the cold wheather. I wanted to get some shanks to make homemade soup, but I can't find any. I finally gave up, and just got some stew meat. It's not the same. I want the shanks.

Cometgirl, I hope you get either no news or good news from your bosses! Have you started job hunting, or would you just retire if they do hand out pink slips? You could start your own full time business. What ever happened to your candle business? Maybe you could go back to college, and take some classes you'd be interested in? Fashion? Art? Horticulture? I'd like to do that!

Sounds like you've been keeping busy in your yard. Good going! I haven't done anything. I think we have to mow one more time though. The leaves are dropping here now. The trees just turned.

Good luck with the ferret! I hope he behaves, and your son doesn't let it just run all around your house. Yikes! That'd creep me out. I knew a girl that had 3 in her house when I lived in some apartments. They were her babies. I wonder if you'll get attached?

SoCalGal, I'm glad that your brother is better. I hope your mom is better too! Did you both get shots? My daughter is worried the shots are going to hurt. I told her that it wasn't going to hurt. Eww!

It's been warm here too, but not in the 90's. We got up to 85 for a day, but are dropping back to the 60's and 70's. I went the other day, and stocked up on sweats. I get so cold in winter. I live in sweats.