November 1st...D_Day..Want to join me?

[Belle]

Hope you all have a Great Day and

you have Friday off and have a LOOOOONG

Weekend! Enjoy!

 

Sheila we're glad we met you too. Your so sweet.

 

Baby know you had your day all ready

but you can enjoy ours too.

 

Carolyn hope your mother is doing better.

 

Donna hope everything OK there.

 

Everything the same here. Going day

by day.

[babylene]

Wish all of you south of the border a Happy Thanksgiving. Don't overeat, enjoy your friends and family and good luck shopping (if you go that route). OUr Thanksgiving is like your Columbus Day or Presidents' birthdays. The banks are closed, probably no mail, so offices close, but that's about it. Some may bother with turkey, but we don't. It's not such a big deal. If families travel to see eachother, it's because it's a Monday, and so a long weekend, just like Labour Day.

 

But, I will take any opportunity to give thanks for all that I have...health, safety and happiness for those I hold dear (that includes you "Girls"...I used to laugh when my mother referred to her friends as "girls", and here I am doing the same thing. We will always be girls, right!!)

 

The awful pound is back, but at least I am not above it (isn't everything relative?). I guess I better start journalling again. journaling (which spelling looks better? I don't think it's a real word)

 

Take care, all!

[Belle]

Thanksgiving Day is over. Did you

ALL enjoy your day? Hope your

enjoying the weekend too.

 

We had a pretty good day with parents.

My father got his turkey leg. Just got

tired very fast. Then he gets unclear.

But he enjoyed himself. Mother was not

having a good day. That's how are life goes.

 

Today is (almost over) our anniversary. Won't

tell you how many years because then you'll

know I'm old! lol To celebrate and to keep our sanity

we're going away for a few days to Reno, only

four hours away. So if we had to get back fast.

Plus a bonus the hotel sent us free nights. Winter must

be slow there because only went once this year

and didn't spend much. It was meant for us to go. Right?

Will worry and call everyday but I/we had to get away.

I tell you this is to much. When it happens, your time, days

and life isn't yours anymore. You love your parents but it is hard.

Husband helps but as you know men's emotions not the same

as ours. They can block things out easier then us.( Like our

voices!) lol

 

Carolyn hope everything going better for you and your

sister is helping.

 

Donna how's Joe? You?

 

Sheila have a good weekend?

 

Baby did you enjoy your unturkey day?

 

Will check in when I get back. Take care everyone.

[babylene]

A belated happy anniversary, Belle. So GLAD that you are going to Reno. Hope you have a wonderful UNDISTURBED time. You need it and you deserve it.

 

American Thanksgiving is just another day for us...but get this..this year the stores had black Friday sales in order to compete with the US. Now that our $ is so close to yours, there is a lot of cross-border shopping and the stores here are feeling the pinch. The awful truth is that although our $ is worth more, we still pay more $$$ for the same items. We should be paying LESS. And get this. A nearby US airport (one hour away) is advertising flights that are much cheaper than what we pay. And the taxes...an example...the tax on a return flight to Florida is around $16 and our taxes on the same flight may be a couple of hundred dollars (I don't know exactly). Why do we have to pay so much more for everything? Are we paying for the snow???????

 

Sat. night we went out for dinner. I had halibut and lost 1 whole pound. I was thrilled. Last night we went for pasta. I ate HALF of my portion. Gained back 1/2. Yuch. Still up the AWFUL pound. Not a good WEIGHT year.

 

HOpe everyone else is doing well. Let's hear from you.

 

Have a great day!

[WeirdEyes]

Hi Girls! Yes, Baby, we will always be girls. ;)

 

We had a great Thanksgiving and weekend. This year, I focused on the people instead of the food. It must've worked because I didn't gain an ounce!

 

Belle ~ Happy Anniversary! I so hope you enjoy your time in Reno. You deserve a holiday away. Glad your Thanksgiving went well and your Dad enjoyed himself. Wish your Mother had been better.

 

Baby ~ I was wondering if your prices came down due to the Canadian dollar catching the U.S. dollar. Wow! I'm really surprised that you have to pay so much more than we do. Our dollar is horrible! I don't know what our government can do to fix it...except stop all of the government spending. :rolleyes:

 

How is everyone else doing? I miss Donna, Carolyn, Sissy, and Linda. I wish they'd check in.

 

Take care GIRLS!

[cmjaffe]

OK... I'm back (for a bit) and venting already (lol).

Update on Mom... after stroke (Nov. 1) and poor prognosis things seemed like it might not be "too" terrible (she got off vent though has traech)... day after thanksgiving I got her to nod answering Yes/No questions (and not easy ones). This was a miracle since the MDs labeled her as having locked in and they said she wouldn't regain ANY movement. Since then she's moved a foot a little and hand so it's encouraging (but not by much, DS is not willing to let go so during all this I'm left clean up). It's been very frustrating dealing w/MD interns and residents. They just don't want to confer w/me (which would help bring them up to speed AND also avoid some problems). This past Monday I get a call from hospital social worker. I know from past experience that this is when they're trying to discharge her. Well she was showing pneumonia a week ago on x-ray but they didn't want to follow up on it (AAAH). They discharged her on Tuesday late afternoon. Wednesday I hear she had fever Tuesday night and I beg them to get a chest x-ray to make sure to get her on an antibiotic (which they did in hospital but stopped before she left). Last night 10PM I get call from MD that she had a fever AGAIN (she never had one in hospital for the 3+weeks there) and they wanted to send her back. I find out today that she also had low blood pressure. She's in ER for over 12 hrs (waiting for bed) and they finally say that she DOES have pneumonia and will admit her. (well duhh. I thought they discharged her too soon, but heck I'm not a doctor, why would they EVER listen to ME). Finally got ICU head resident to ask me med questions to bring him up to speed (and very glad/greatful that he took time since he said by talking to me I was helping him save time etc. -- guess he's not stuck on high horse impressed w/self that he's a doctor). So killed most of today following up. BTW today's my birthday. After call last night I got concerned that Mom would die on my birthday (wouldn't that be a fine present). DS is a piece of work. After saying I have "this" to look forward to with day of phone calls for my birthday she just said "well, were you going to do something/anything anyway?" (guess I'm not entitled to just relax on any day, let alone b-day. -- <off topic for the last several years it's always been som OK I'm stopping venting.

I'm just counting down till Dec. 17th when I get on plane to Hawaii. THen whatever happens/happens. Told DS I won't fly back for Mom nor would I probably NOT rush back if there was funeral (she didn't take that very well). Know I can't trust DS w/Mom's medical care when I'm away so I'll just carefully check in. DS usually "mucks things up" and then I'm (as usual) left to clean up mess. OK I'm done venting now.

As to what I'll wear in Hawaii, I haven't a clue. Weight's not where I'd like/want it to be. At this point I really don't care.

Belle, talk to your parents NOW while you still can.

Baby, don't fret about that darn lb. it's probably going to haunt you for a LONG time -- life's too short. Just remember your water.

Sheila... hope you're doing well w/your workouts and your D family.

Donna... hope you're just too busy with work (and not Joe) that you haven't had a chance to pop in.

Now I think I better call DS to update her on situation.

Carolyn

[WeirdEyes]

Carolyn ~ {{{HUGS}}} and Happy Birthday! Just keep looking forward to that trip to Hawaii!

[cmjaffe]

Thanks Sheila...

Made it to the "big" 5 - 0.

Luckily Mom's stable right now (would kill her if she died on my b-day)

They're still waiting for a bed to move her to from er... only 24 hrs now.

Carolyn

[WeirdEyes]

Carolyn ~ Wow! That's a big birthday! I hope you enjoyed it considering everything you're going through. I also hope your poor DM gets into a room soon. You know she's got to be so tired now. Poor dear. Take care of yourself!

 

Belle ~ Are you back from your trip yet?

 

Donna ~ I'm going to try and find your e-mail address and hunt you down. I'm getting worried about you!

 

Baby ~ Where are you? Do I need to hunt you down also? I can go stalking on the HAL boards. LOL

 

Happy Friday, friends!

[babylene]

I'm here! AND I am down 1/2 from the awful pound. We are going to a retaurant tonight that serves big portions. I plan to share with my DH. If not, I will surely gain. He had a check-up this week and the doctor told him to lose weight. So share we will!

 

Carolyn, happy 50th! Hope you got to celebrate. What did you do? Many more happy b-days.

 

Hope things have settled down with your Mom.

 

Sheila, thanks for asking. It's Celebrity, not HAL!!!! I just posted on our roll call (Galaxy)

 

Donna posts more on a differenct website. **************.com. There is a group that calls themselves the owls and she posts regularly. Sometimes I look there just to see if she is O.K.!

 

Ma Belle, sign in, please! (Is anyone else old enough to remember that TV show?? I forget the name of it.

 

Have a great day, all

[donnaw]

Baby, Where is that water? Yes, more there than here but mostly because I still have problems opening CC pretty regularly. On the other hand, haven't had much time to post anywhere lately! His joining your effort should help you.

 

Carolyn, A belated Happy Birthday and I hope you get a chance to do something special (as on not have to) soon the celebrate it. I'm sure December 17th can't get here soon enough!

 

Sheila, Just insane lately! A little Joe but mostly work complicated by a bad cold that just won't give up and has me going to bed at 8 several times a week.

 

Belle, A belated Happy Anniversary and hope you are off enjoying Reno. That is close enough and you do need time away from all the added responsibility.

 

Made it today since it feels like a vacation day for the moment. We are expecting a wicked storm to start in just under 2 hours which will leave 3" + of snow plus 1/2" + of ice on top before it ends this evening. Lots of "Work" work to do but the idea of not leaving the house till tomorrow has me ignoring it. We have tickets for Trans Siberian Orchestra tomorrow so will definitely get out of here.

 

Actually, just checked and it appears that a couple posts have not appeared on here so fingers crossed that this one does. Lots of time spent redoing the exercise room over the last few weeks in anticipation of the new elliptical (which I will finally start using today). We have found that he can do many of the things he did with my help and at a slower pace. He is not taking the idea well so I do have to keep from hitting him over the head occasionally. In this case, I had to split between him and holiday decorations but did manage to complete both before Thanksgiving Day. Easier to explain by pics: http://community.webshots.com/user/donnaw7471 In other words, absolutely no excuse not to get serious about the "D".

 

Now off to get him moving since we only have a couple hours pre-storm left for any running around that he deems necessary. I'm thinking nothing is but he usually finds some reason to head out!

 

Have a great weekend!

[WeirdEyes]

Good morning, Ladies!

 

Baby ~ Hiya! I couldn't remember if it was Celebrity or HAL, so I took a stab and got it wrong. LOL Glad you're doing OK and are down a 1/2 lb!

 

Donna ~ Finally! So good to see you on here. I have no idea which other website you post at since CC blocked the address. Is it cruise related and is your user name the same? Glad Joe is doing OK with your help! Your decorations are lovely! I've missed you!

 

Belle ~ Are you back yet? I hope you had a fabulous time!

 

Carolyn ~ How's your DM doing?

 

I had a busy weekend, as usual. Got the Christmas lights up and did my final shopping. Got most of the gifts wrapped in a marathon on Fri. night. Boy, was my back killing me! I would've had John massage it, but he was already in bed. I told him that I should've asked for one of those Shiatsu massagers for Christmas. :rolleyes:

 

Take care!

[babylene]

We are in the midst of a snow storm. Schools are closed. Here, that's BIG!

 

Sad to report that I gained back the 1/2. Sat. night, even sharing...can you imagine if we didn't share? Today I plan to log what I eat. But I will probably stay home, and that's never good.

 

Drinking my water as I type!

 

Donna, good to hear from you. Your renovations look great. Such a big job! We plan to do a little, but I dread it. However, you can neglect only so long. Hope your cold is "all better". How was the concert?

 

Sheila, Good that you got so much done already. It must be so stressful to leave everything to the last minute. I noticed a lot of Christmas decorations while driving around yesterday. It looks so festive!

 

Chanukah starts tomorrow night. We give our kids "Chanukah Gelt". Money. That's the easiest thing!!!!! No returns, I can assure you!!!! For years, we picked names from a hat (like we did in school). It was just our little family and we had a $10 limit when they were younger. Then it grew to $15 and finally $20. But now that we are not all in the same city, we won't be doing it. It was fun.

 

I didn't make potato latkes this year. I feel a little guilty about that. I will buy some for Friday night dinner. It won't be the same as home made, but a lot less work!

 

Have a great day, all!

[WeirdEyes]

Baby ~ That 1/2 lb is probably water from the meal. Restaurant meals are loaded with sodium. ;) Will you post your potato latkes recipe when you get a chance? My DH's family used to draw names out of a hat also, but we decided not to do that this year. The family is so big...it can get expensive.

[cmjaffe]

Hi there,

nothing new for me to report (unf. my weight has crept up too... but I'm the only one to blame <stress, absent eating> for it).

Baby, if you're going to use the "store bought" latkes... don't forget to scrape your knuckles before eating... not quite the same.

Does it start tomorrow night or Wednesday? Libby's got Hebrew school tomorrow night (which I'm sure she wants to skip). She can't since her class will help with Friday services (once a year thing). Then we'll probably go to NYC for weekend to check up on Mom (who will probably still be in hospital) and Aunt (who seems to be doing OK -- don't want to jinx it though) to make sure everything is "ok" before the weekend. WIll probably stop in on everyone the following Sunday as we make our way out to JFK for our overnight before leaving on Monday AM. Have no idea what clothes will fit me but at least I don't have to worry about formal wear etc. It's just the 4 of us.

Carolyn

[babylene]

Carolyn, I KNOW it doesn't taste the same without knuckles!!! Actually, I use the food processor, so no knuckles!!!

 

Tonight is the first candle. We are just the 2 of us and I have to leave for my Hebrew lesson. Did I ever mention that I was learning to read Hebrew? It is so difficult. I feel like a real dummy! I went to Hebrew school after school for about 3 months when I was 8 years old. When the days got shorter, I was afraid to come home in the dark (mothers didn't carpool in those days!!). So that was the end of my Hebrew education. I think that is why I was so adamant about sending our kids to Hebrew Day School.

 

Sheila, if you pick a name from a hat, you get only one name. We did "fun" gifts.

 

Here is my latke recipe:

 

4 medium potatoes, pared 1 tsp baking powder

1 onion 3/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs freshly ground pepper

1/3 c. flour oil for frying

 

STEELKNIFE: Cut potatoes in chunks and onion in half. Place in processor with eggs and process until pureed, about 20-3- seconds. Add remaining ingredients, except oil and process a few seconds longer to blend into a smooth mixture.

 

Pour oil to about 1/8 " into a large skillet. When hot, drop in potato mixture by spoonfuls (I use teaspoons because I like the latkes smaller) to form pancakes. Brown well on both sides.

 

Now, as I finish each batch, I use a slotted spoon and transfer each latke

onto a strainer/collander in the sink. Then I probably use 1/2 a roll of paper towels trying to get rid of the oil!!! I place them on a towel lined plate and do that a few times, because there really is a lot of oil. As you are frying a few batches, you will need to add more oil as needed. The oil really heats up and it cooks much faster.

 

You can freeze the latkes in batches.

 

To reheat, place in a single layer on an ungreased foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake uncovered at 450 for 7 or 8 minutes, until crisp and hot.

You can serve with sour cream or apple sauce. I serve them "as is".

 

Enjoy! Just don't eat too many!!!!

[babylene]

I don't know. I had 2 columns for ingredients. They came out jumbled together. When I tried to edit, it was correct, but somehow didn't post right.

 

Anyway, I think you could decipher it!

[Belle]

Am home but haven't been on.

Vacation was nice but you know what?

 

You come back..EVERYTHING is still here!

Still have to keep dealing with all the problems...

 

Carolyn Happy belated Birthday wishes. Your

going to Hawaii..Lucky You!

Glad your mother is holding her own. Hope your

sister is helping some.

 

Happy Chanukah Carolyn and Baby.

 

Baby don't blame you for not cooking when

you can buy latkes. I hate cooking for any

holiday anymore! Good luck in school.

 

Sheila of course you have everything done for

Christmas. Your amazing.

Don't even know what I'm doing for christmas

and your done.

 

Donna glad you and Joe are doing good. Your

exercise room looks so nice. I need to start exercising..

Can I borrow it?

 

Hope your all having a good week.

 

Hugs to you ALL

[WeirdEyes]

Hey girls! I hope all of you are doing well. I am! :D

 

Donna ~ I forgot to mention that I LOVE your new kitchen! Boy, does it make a difference! You have almost the same kitchen as my friends in Scotland. They have dark granite counter tops though. I like your exercise room also. I hope to have one of those when Nick moves out.

 

Baby ~ Thanks so much for the recipe! I'll have to try them. Wow! That's amazing that you're taking Hebrew lessons! I know that is sooo hard!

 

Belle ~ I'm so glad you enjoyed your vacation. Yes, our life is still there when we return. I'm a big organizer and planner so I'm always prepared way in advance. LOL It keeps me sane!

 

Baby and Carolyn ~

 

HAPPY HANUKKAH!!!!

[babylene]

Thanks for the Chanukah wishes! Enjoy the latkes!!

 

Welcome back, Belle. I always say we pay for our vacations...and I don't mean in $$$. It is stressful to get ready to leave and it is stressful to catch up when we return. But I would never give them up!!!

 

We have so much snow here. It is really a mess. The Hebrew class was cancelled. So is next week's class, so I have lots of time to review!!!!

 

The awful pound is still around. The awful habit that I have to break is noshing after dinner. Tonight I will try not to do that!

 

Hope you all have a great day!

[WeirdEyes]

Hi girls! I lost one pound this week. I'm not too surprised because I haven't been eating a whole lot and I'm back to exercising really hard. I'm so sore!

 

Baby ~ After dinner snacking can really get to you. I don't do it at all. I haven't for years. I normally don't eat anything after 7:30pm. The only time I do is on a cruise. Would you send some of that snow down here? I'd love to see some. It has been many years since we've had any stick to the ground. We might get a flurry once a year, but that's it. I hope you're enjoying Hanukkah!

[Belle]

Hope your having a good weekend.

Just wanted to "touch base" and see

if everyone is doing alright.

 

Baby and Carolyn your enjoying your

Hanukkah or Chanukah. Wish way do

you use?

 

Everyone else getting ready for Christmas?

I'm not ready and in fact I don't even

know what we're doing. So different

with my parents sick.

 

Can you believe.. last year at this time

we were on our wonderful cruise on the

Galaxy!

 

Everything the same here..not good. Just

going day by day. What else can I do?

 

Thinking of you all.

[WeirdEyes]

Belle ~ We're always thinking of you also. I wish things would look up for you soon. How was your trip?

 

I had a so-so weekend. I'm having stomach issues again. Not sure what brought it on. I did relax most of the weekend and that was good. I haven't done that for a long time. I guess my body needed the rest.

 

Hello to everyone!

[cmjaffe]

Hey everyone.

Well I'm sick, Mom's the same (or getting a bit worse w/white count) and DS is the "same" (PIA). Wondering if I'll be well enough (though gaining weight like crazy) to go away on Monday. DS will make it her business to make make sure that I won't have any peace/quiet and take away any pleasure I may get from this respite.

Hope everyone's doing well (if not just OK)

Carolyn

[WeirdEyes]

Carolyn ~ So sorry you are sick. Hope you feel better before your trip. Try not to let Diane get to you. {{{HUGS}}}