11/27/10 Giving Thanks

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday (those that celebrate Thanksgiving)! We had a great week with DS1 home. He's back at school now (at the football game today). It's snowing big flakes here...just a dusting, but so pretty.

We did the usual things;
- Picked out a Christmas tree with the kids (a week earlier than normal since DS1 had to go back early). This one's a beauty...a Frazier Fir, almost 11'...it's up in the foyer and the lights go on today.

- Watched lots of movies together. Went to see 'Harry Potter' (very good).

- Spent lots of time cooking...yes, me...just because I don't like to cook, doesn't mean I can't (although I always have my 'epic fails', usually due to creativity, and this year was no exception). I'm most thankful for having the family all together, so I went all out cooking this year. Here's my Thanksgiving food porn...

----- We make heavy appetizers and treats for lunch so we'll be hungry for dinner (no appetizer's before); Shrimp, Texas Caviar (Bean, Corn Dip- I added chick peas this year, yum), hot Dried Beef Spread, Pumpkin Roll, and Apple Coffee Cake (all homemade).

----- Here's my Thanksgiving spread (there's the acorn trees I made to the right, I blogged about another past Thanksgiving).

----- This year's 'Martha Moment'...I made my own centerpiece this year from the gourds that DS2 grew (stuck them with some bamboo skewers) and some mums I had on the front porch (just put the oasis in a foam pumpkin).

----- This year's menu: Turkey (used a new butter basting recipe, yum), Sage Dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy (new recipe with white wine and chicken stock, yum), cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, variety of fancy olives, and rolls (the one thing that wasn't homemade this year). I made spiced mulled cider...new recipe with floating oranges, or I used the little tangerines and youstick the cloves in them all over (OMG, if you want your house to smell great, you put 10 of these into the oven to bake before you float them in the cider). And I served the one bottle of wine we brought back from Paris...it just seemed like the right time to have it...from the place where I had my LB 'moment' and now my first holidays after goal...I have a lot to be thankful for!

For dessert; pumpkin pie with whipped cream (DS2 loves the canned stuff LOL), candied jack-be-little pumpkins stuffed with vanilla ice cream and carmel sauce. New recipe...and my epic fail. I went all the way to an orchard to find the little pumpkins. I wasn't watching them closely enough while they were in the simple sugar bath cooking for a long time and they went from not done to burnt on the bottoms in a minute. They actually were pretty yummy though with the ice cream as long as you didn't eat the bottom LOL...and they looked beautiful...almost translucent with a shiny glaze.

We're spending a lazy day in front of the TV and eating leftovers (DH is making lentil soup with some leftover ham we had) after wearing ourselves out at the Black Friday sales yesterday. Off to watch the big OSU football game on TV (my youngest sis/husband are going this year...brrr...I think I like my seats better today LOL) and I need to make the fire in the fireplace (nothing like a wood fire)...stay warm all!

11/19/10 It's NOT Just a Tool!

I decided to give you all a gift (LOL, or you may consider this a white elephant) as my 'thanks' to you (in celebration of the Holidays), the only way I know how…with words. I so hope this will help someone. Thank you all for your support and advice!

WARNING- A thesis paper follows (if you thought the last one was long LOL), as I pulled some things from the book, and I probably won't leave this up long because of that. I'd appreciate your thoughts/questions, and I'd like those of you who have been at your Sweet Spot for awhile and have had time to start processing all this to tell me if you feel the same/different?
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11/17/10 Thanks for Sharing; A Blog of Substance

*Post Deleted For Lap Band Book

11/16/10 Leaf Me Alone!

Every single leaf was out of the yard on Friday and then...

...it rained...
...the downside of living on the edge of hill of large oaks.

11/10/10 Fashionista- What Goes Around... (lots of pics)

...Comes Around.

Let's take a walk through fashion history...mine specifically...and all the trends that cycle out and back in.

I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying building a new wardrobe now. Growing up I was never a trend setter with fashion. Coming from a home with 5 kids (4 girls) I was always looking for hand-me-downs...the best was when we got boxes from our older cousins once or twice. Looking back, I actually think I was probably a little behind-the-times. I desperately wanted the latest fashion trend, but I was usually on the tail end by the time I got it. Let's face it, clothes were very expensive then and fabric was a lot cheaper...Mom's actually sewed clothing (thanks again Mom for sewing me the white bikini I desperately begged you for...it's not your fault that I only wore it once...a self-conscious teen figuring out that people are not staring at you because you've got the cutest bikini at the community pool, but because it's see-through when it gets wet was a little traumatic) and most teen's closets weren't packed with nearly the amount of clothing they are now.

I have vivid memories of the few brand new, trendy clothing pieces I received for birthdays or Christmas and I remember wearing them often and until I wore them out.

Elephant bell bottoms...wide all the way from the top of the thighs until the enormous bell-bottoms (I don't think these have ever come back in...too bad as I could have used these when I was fat with my thunder thighs...mine had much looser thighs than these...of course that was when I was stick-thin...I'm always doing things backwards...'skinny jeans' when I'm obese...ugh.);

A midi (mid-calf length) coat made of tan corduroy (mine would have been right in now with the military look as it was double breasted);

Sweater unitard; from my toes to my (turtle) neck in gold cable knit, with a wrap around red-plaid mini skirt...NO this isn't me, just some other unfortunate girl in a unitard who at least had the sense to cover a lot more of the unitard (I was a tall skinny beanpole and I looked like a giant banana...these shouldn't ever come back in...ever...at least in gold).
'Love, Peace, & Flowers' Hip Hugger pants; picture the white one in the corner below and add a bright yellow sash belt and then add neon colored Peter Max style words and flowers (yes, I felt like a flower child in these).
A maxi (length) dress...my first one was red paisley (similar to the one below) and later I had a cream colored peasant-style one.Maxi dresses are back in. Of course I'm behind-the-times again and didn't buy one until I was skinny this summer and trust me, they're a fat girl's dream dress...and yes, they have them with flowy sleeves if you're working on the arms...even the big 'butterfly' sleeves we used to wear;
And here's the cream colored one (I thought I looked like a bride in this)...yes, the actual one I wore in middle school...I told you I'm a saver.And lest you think I can still fit into it...NOT. OK, this made me feel busty for the first time (when we all know I'm in training bras)...maybe my ribs have expanded LOL?
I blame my 'saving' it on my Mom...my DD actually just this week wore this beautiful expensive Peck and Peck dress Mom bought in NYC in the early 50's before she was married...see, most things come back in style (Yes, I wore this in college, and NO, I can't fit even my left pinkie in this thing now...it looks like a sack here, but it has a tiny waist with a flared skirt and is super cute on).

*Portions of Post Deleted For Lap Band Book

11/8/10 Got the Time?

It's 4:10 am...

...and why am I up so very early?...

...it was DH's job to change the clocks back yesterday...

...we have a LOT of clocks in this house...

...he forgot...

...one...


...at least he's up too...

11/5/10 Home Again, Home Again...

Jiggidy Jig! Finally home last night with DS1 and he's recovering nicely. Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers...it certainly helps to have friends with you when you're feeling alone and emotional about something. Thanks so much!

11/3/10 The Neverending Story

I've been sitting vigil at the hospital for three days now…yes it's quiet here and DS is sleeping non-stop…so you would think that I would be working on the book…but I'm too brain dead…so I'm unloading some of that brain matter on you…here's what's in that snarky, rambling brain today…(BTW x-ray was good, he's fully loaded with 2 intervenous antibiotics and two pain meds, just waiting for the bloodwork and the Doc to spring him hopefully)…

We recently got our first flat screen TV…no not because we wanted it, but because we needed it…OK…I needed it. I have an addiction to TV…not that I watch a lot of it, but it's my friend. I don't like being in the house alone…yes, you know I'm still afraid of the dark (d*mn right it's scary…and dark…not to mention quiet…except when there are noises…creepy house noises), but I'm talking about during the day…I don't like being alone…OK, I do have my moments…like that nude dash through the house to celebrate when the teacher's strike finally ended and my kids went back to school…BTW I'm still angry with you teachers…if you'd told me upfront that you'd be on strike for over a month I'd have gone on a nice vacation (yes, and taken my bratty kids you weren't teaching) or something else inane instead of tuning into the school channel every night praying that it would all end…next time hire someone more in touch to negotiate your contract…so sorry that you now have to pay $10 per pay period for your health insurance that covers everything 100%…I'll send you my healthcare bills (lest you think I hate teachers, please remember that I was one, and two of my favorite teachers are two of my sisters, and I would give all the good ones a healthy raise…a strike sticking point over going from no payments for healthcare to a piddly $10 was just out-of-touch…and almost incited a parent riot…in my front yard…or maybe it was in my head).

Where was I…oh, TV…my friend. Anywhozle, I have lots of TV's and one is constantly on during the day…the Great Room one…keeping me company in the background…while I'm doing laundry…or writing…or sorting holiday bins…whatever. The little TV we have in our bedroom died…a slow death…DH tried to coax it back to life, but it's intermittent blackouts were apparently not a result of the cable failing in the bedroom (like DH thought)…or Russia finally sending those cold-war nukes over (like I thought…does anyone but me still worry and 'assume the position' under a desk when the TV blacks out unexpectedly…especially after 9/11?). So after playing mix n' match, moving TV's and plugging in other cables, my DH finally declared surrender and announced that we needed a new little TV for the bedroom. Smart me…the kids blew the speakers on our great room TV (its buzzing voice drives me nuts during the day as I have to turn it up to hear it in the laundry room) so I announced that we needed a new Great Room TV and we could put the one with the speech impediment in the bedroom. Well DH took to that like kids (me) to Halloween candy…before I knew it he was calling from the electronics store to 'measure the entertainment cabinet for me'…and came home with a flat screen (for a very deep entertainment cabinet…I'll have to figure out what to do with all that extra space behind the TV…maybe store some more holiday bins)….and get this…he starts the installation by unscrewing the fold and slide in doors off our entertainment cabinet…oh YES, he had to get the biggest one possible that almost touches the sides of the cabinet with the doors removed…it's the rules…'the electronics store guy said so'…and 'they only come in two sizes' anyway…tiny…or take-the-doors-off-I'll-just-fit.

I'm not complaining…DH finally decided we actually needed HDTV to go with the new HDTV capable TV…now there's a novelty. Remember now…we were Amish for many years…just ask my oldest…we were the LAST people in the world to get a home computer…and then DD dubbed us 'half-Amish' until DH decided to get cable TV after 'everyone else' had it. As much as my DH enjoys buying anything that plugs in he's not a 'techy' person (yeah, and I have that tech-impairment). When we bought the huge rear-projection TV for the basement rec. room he was forward thinking enough to get the 'HD capable' TV…in case they ever got around to actually having HD capable channels (which they did)…and you wanted to buy the conversion box in the future for your TV (which we never did). So he jumped all over that HD (OK, ten years after everyone else…hey, we're not Amish anymore…just Mennonites). Well the HD cable came with my new bestest friend…DVR on the cable box…I didn't even know there was such a thing…I've still been recording things on our VHS…I'm not kidding…we have a DVR player in the basement but I never did figure out how to record to it…ever…OK, maybe we're one level worse with technology than Mennonites…what would that be? Quakers? Maybe Senior Citizens? D*mn you AARP…No, Means NO!

I have no clue where this tale was headed…oh yeah…my new bestest friend…the new flat screen TV with the DVR HD…I can now record any program and can pick a familiar voice to keep me company during the day…Oprah, Martha, Nate Berkus, Candice Olson, Antonio Ballatore…my kids say I'm addicted to HGTV (not to be confused with HDTV). And here's the kicker…I CAN REWIND LIVE TV (like when my DH decides to have an in depth conversation about the perils of leaf blowing while you're finally figuring out who-done-it)…and here's the best part…YOU CAN PAUSE LIVE TV (like if you have to go the bathroom…because you have incontinence…and it takes meditation and prayer to pee…and it takes forever…but I'm not saying that's you…but if it were…YOU CAN PAUSE LIVE TV)! Bet you didn't know that little nugget, did you? OK I think that's all that's in my brain dump…a neverending story…that you don't have to rewind…or pause…because there's no who-done-it to miss…or even a point, apparently.

11/3/10 Update

Thanks so much all! Update on DS1; Pain is improving, Blood work improving, Fever up last night but low grade this morning so they want to check his lungs and give him more antibiotics today (x-ray and more blood work today). Doc will be back in tonight with results, but we're hopeful things are turning around. Thanks everyone!

11/2/10 Not So Happy Valley

Please send me some good vibes or prayers. DS1 had to have emergency surgery yesterday (accidental injury to groin). DH and I came right out to Happy Valley/PSU (I was a mess on the way out here...as he was in surgery while we were driving the 3 hours). We thought he'd be released today, but he started a fever and they're worried about infection now (and we're hoping they don't have to go back in).

I'll keep you posted (thanks).

11/1/10 Happy Halloween!

Here's DS2's Jack-o-Lantern. He cracks me up...as he was carving it, he looked up and in his best Hermey the Elf voice said 'I want to be a Dentist!'

Here's DD's (It got a little dried out...she did this on Thursday since she was away for the weekend)

DS2 and his friends decided to go out to a few houses...he thought this angel costume was hysterical (I added a little face paint to make him look more angelic).

I make roasted pumpkin seeds every year...they're yummy.

Here's the foyer...

...with the giant spider web

Oh, and something SUPER SCARY...

I found a new trigger food...

...and it's a slider too...
I swear that pumpkin is mocking me...

...and he's still here this morning...