Book Board Chat

By the way I am on the no call list for several years now and I have reported them. It took forever but it seems to be the only thing I can do.

I put the tree up yesterday. It's a small table top tree and I put a bag over it every year and store it in a closet fully lit and decorated. No trouble at all and It's really cute! Did some more decorating here and there around the house today and I am finished. I can't believe the trouble I used to go to with a large Frazier fur but I was younger and much more energetic then and it was always beautiful and smelled wonderful.
On another subject - is anyone getting lots of robocalls? For the past 2 days I have had so many (22 on Monday and 18 so far today!) Most are from different numbers so it doesn't do any good to block them. I'll have to keep the phone on silent ring until this passes (if it ever does).

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was low key with just the two of us - Turkey roast, stovetop stuffing, grilled veggies, and pumpkin pie. I actually made the pie from scratch but everything else was easy peasy.
I hardly ever cook - Frank is the cook in our family and he has accumulated a large collection of cook books but the ones most used are a 12 volume set that I bought one by one from the A&P 45+ years ago - Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery.

Happy Halloween! Pumpkins are carved and lit, candy is ready. So far no Trick or Treaters. We didn't get a single one last year.

Diane, Maybe they were a bit outdated for her - more for those of us growing up in the 50's.

Hi, haven't been here for a long time so it was nice to catch up. Very interesting discussion about childhood books. I, too, loved Nancy Drew . I remember on Christmas mornings there was always a new one on my bed to keep me occupied until my parents were ready to wake up. Both of my parents loved to read so the house was full of books and Mom took us to the library every Saturday for more. She could curl up on the couch and read in the midst of chaos (my younger sister and brother and all of their friends) and never even notice. And Daddy read to us until way after we could read on our own doing all the voices and making the characters come alive. Good memories. Right now I'm in the mood for spooky books. Just finished The Night Country by Stewart O'Nan.

Diane, Von was fortunate to have had you as her sister. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Diane, I'm thinking about you and Von and praying that her passing will be peaceful.

Patsy, yes it did!

Jim, My favorite feature on the Kindle is being able to download the "sample" before buying the book. You're so right about reviews - "different strokes for different folks" - but the sample gives me enough of the book to know if it's going to grab me and suck me in which, sadly, is getting rarer and rarer.

Patsy, thanks for the link! I often wonder especially how her DH and Max are doing. Wish one of her sons would post an update on the family.

We finally got a little thunderstorm (temp went from the mid 90's to the mid 70's) and looks like more is coming - fingers crossed...

Thanks, Sam. With all the health problems of BBCers and their families (your Mom included - she continues to be in my prayers), I was hesitant to mention my cat but the prayers and good thoughts of the BBCers are strong so I did....

Sandy, your cottage is so sweet - just my taste 🙂

Carol, how can I get to Mainelady's guestbook?

Diane, Congratulations on your new diet! It sounds delicious - really. Hang in there :-).

Annie, our 9 year old cat, has started having seizures. Most are petit mal but Wednesday morning she had a grand mal - very scarry! The vet did blood work which pretty much ruled out infection as a cause but she's getting antibiotics just in case and Phenobarbital for the seizures. The Pheno seems to be working - she still has some petit mal but not nearly as many and no more grand mal so far. We're hoping she doesn't have a brain tumor - time will tell. Prayers and good thoughts for her would be appreciated.

It's HOT here - almost 100 every day. Maybe some rain this afternoon - 40% chance. I've been on a planting spree so have to do plenty of watering.

Good morning,

Jim, I can download samples of books on my Kindle for free - usually a few chapters, enough to know whether I'll like the book or not. Also there is a detailed description of each book on the Kindle.

Patsy, sending prayers for your SIL and for all the BBers and families in need of prayers.

Diane, I had a bread machine some years back and it didn't work well with whole wheat flour so I googled bread making and started doing it by hand. It's amazing how much frustration you can work off by kneading 🙂 and the bread always turned out great even using whole wheat flour - plus it was very satisfying to say "I baked it myself". I've sort of gotten out of the habit now but for awhile I was making bread every week. If I can do it, anyone can.

Paula, I'm so happy that you had a good outcome with the kitten. I know exactly how you feel.

Patsy, a couple of years ago I offered to teach tap to seniors through the recreation dept. I was going to do it as a volunteer but I stipulated that I would have to have a sprung floor on which to teach. They didn't want any of their hardwood floors scratched and would only agree to let me use tile floors (tile on top of cement). Nope! - too hard on knees and hips. What is more important - pristine hardwood floors or happy tapping seniors??? Their loss...

Good News, Diane!

We came in second in the competition which means that we won't be going to Raleigh in September to compete in the state olympics. The group that won did really well and their dance was sort of a comedy - very creative. They will be good representatives for the county in Raleigh 🙂
One of the judges teaches a senior tap class in Greensboro and I talked to her about taking the class this fall. It might not be much of a challenge, she said it is intermediate, but I've missed tapping so I gave her my phone # and asked her to call when it starts again.

It'll be good to sleep late again although I'm going to try to get up earlier now that I'm used to it. Tomorrow our group is having a cook-out - will be fun. And no more classes until June.

Good morning,

Our line dance group is competing at the County Senior Olympics at 11AM today. One of the girls needs a hip replacement so it's touch and go whether she'll be able to dance or not. Yesterday she couldn't dance at the tech rehearsal so we went back to the studio and relearned the formations without her just in case. I talked to her last night and she was able to get around OK by then so we will see. She really wants to do it!

Sam, thanks for the update on Maureen. And thanks for mentioning that the cat is being cared for - I've been wondering about that.

Diane, prayers going up for your Sis and for you!

Good afternoon,

Enjoyed Saturday's downtown Greensboro house and apartment tour but it didn't include the apartments I'm most interested in. It was a hot day that ended in torrential rain but luckily the rain didn't start until we were finished with the tour and back in the car. There were a couple of places with walls of loaded bookcases - so inviting! And one place with a calico cat!

We're getting back to back recorded political calls today - with each one I make myself a note NOT to vote for that person - don't like to be hounded. Actually I'm only going to the polls because of Amendment 1 - won't share my views on it here but it's been a hard decision.

Good afternoon,

Maureen, I'm glad you're feeling better after a good nights sleep.

Tomorrow we'll be going on a "downtown" house tour in Greensboro. I'd love to live in a downtown apartment there near the cultural center where DH could take more art classes and I could take dance classes without the hour long drive. We've thought about renting an apartment for a year just as a test to see if we like it enough to make a permanent move. So the tour should be informative - some downtown apartments are included.

Mim, Thanks! I'll certainly try that 🙂

We had dress rehearsal this morning 🙂
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I was dubious about marriage too - liked living peacefully alone and didn't have the "Mommy" gene but at age 28 I met Frank and we clicked. It'll be 40 years in November - it hasn't always been a smooth journey but here we are growing old together, liking the less stressful life of retirement.

We're fighting the ant wars again - happens every spring. Terminex sprays for ants every 3 months around the outside of the house but I don't let them in because of the cats. This morning the cat dish was full of ants! I called the Terminex guy and he brought some ant traps which I have placed where the cats don't go. At least this little fiasco forced us to clean behind the refrigerator which needed to be done anyway.

Jim - "I’m not too sure where marriage fits in there anymore". According to HGTV's home buying shows (Property Virgins, House Hunters, etc.) the order is often: living together, engagement, buying a house together, and then (sometimes) marriage with children at any stage of the list.

Good morning - got an early start again, danced and will leave shortly to take DH to Greensboro for a root canal. Depending on how he feels afterwards we may make a trip to Barnes and Noble. We don't have a book store here in town so I like to scout around there for new titles.

I still remember vividly my first apartment - it was on the top floor of a family home and felt very cozy and safe. Even now I sometimes dream that I'm back there.

Maureen, you continue to be in my prayers.

Good morning, I've gotten an early start yesterday and today (and will for the rest of this week and all of next week) because our senior line dance group is practicing every morning at 8AM. The "performance" will be a week from Friday. I hope that my body will adjust to this early morning schedule so I can continue it thoughout the summer.

Bless you, Sam. Maureen and Mim, sending prayers that you will feel better soon.

Good afternoon, The bookboardchat truely knows all :-). A few years ago I thought I had broken my foot. It was so painful that I couldn't even hop on the other foot because the jarring was unbearable. DH went and bought me some crutches so I could get to the ER. They x-rayed and said it was probably due to an old injury and told me to keep off of it (DUH) and see an Orthopedist. I kept it elevated for a few days and it gradually improved - never saw an Orthopedist. From what I've read here today, I'm pretty sure it was gout and now I remember that my Dad suffered with gout off and on. I've haven't had any more episodes.

Good afternoon,

Bob, sent friend request (Nancy Dwyer). I tried to find you when you first mentioned being on facebook but couldn't - adding "Salvation Army" did the trick.

Haven't post for awhile but I've been keeping up. I recently got a letter from a woman who is tracing her family tree and wanted to know more about my grandfather who was the youngest brother of her grandfather. What a treat! I knew almost nothing about his past until 1952 when he and my grandmother moved from Syracuse, NY to live next door to us. He was never very forthcoming about his past and now I've found that I have second cousins living less than 2 hours drive from me. She has sent pictures from his youth and I recognize him - kind of exciting.

Carol, Love the bookshelves 🙂

Good Evening, The treadmill has arrived and DH put it together with no problems. We both tried it - it fits me perfectly, seems to be made for short people, but DH has to bend over a little and his stride is too long for comfort. Plus it fits well into our small house so I'm delighted - DH, not so much, but he prefers the Greenway anyway no matter what the weather.

I've been working on taxes - Federal is finished and mailed today, State is almost finished. What a relief! And we don't have to pay!

Happy Birthday to Bookleaves and to all of you that I've missed. Diane, you have my sympathy - hope you feel better soon. We could sure use some rain to wash away the pollen that seems to be starting early this year.

Jim, I’m glad to hear that you usually stay up until 2AM and then read yourself to sleep. My DH does that too and it’s nice to know that he’s not the only one. I usually begin flaking out between midnight and 1AM. Unfortunately, even though we are blissfully retired and can sleep late in the morning, the world does not exist on our time schedule and we are sometimes jerked out of dreamland by the phone or door bell or the sound of lawn mowers & other loud equipment used by the early risers in our neighborhood (we are mostly retirees around here but we are the only late risers). I wish that we could get our bodies to adhere to a more “normal” schedule but they just won’t cooperate. As far as the time change goes, I love falling back but have a problem with springing forward. It’s true that time doesn’t mean much to me but pretty soon our line dance group will start revving up for the “Big Senior Olympics” and there will be extra practices at 8AM (which is 7AM in my body’s time) – UGH, I’ve barely turned over by then……

I can’t take my walk on the Greenway today because it’s closed due to a rabid raccoon scare. Yesterday I walked on the track instead but it was packed and there were some teenagers sitting (and lying) in the middle of it that I had to keep stepping over (because Heaven forbid that they should be polite enough to move over to the grassy area but that’s a whole ‘nother subject) so I think I’ll skip the walk today. Tomorrow the track will be nice and quiet with most of the crowd back to work and school. Last night I ordered a treadmill for occasions such as this – it’s just a small manual foldable one since I don’t have room (or funds) for a fancy one but it gets good reviews and some bad ones, more good than bad – we’ll see…..

Good Afternoon,

I can't watch any movies with animals - never saw Old Yeller or Bambi all the way through. And when I taught dancing I always cried when the babies (children from 3 to 5 years old) danced in the recitals - they touched my heart strings.

The bathroom is now ready for unveiling - we installed the towel racks this afternoon.

Ta Da!!
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Good Afternoon,

Hope you’re enjoying your birthday, Paula.

I always cry at the end of the movie, Without a Trace with Kate Nelligan, when the detective finally finds the little boy. The detective has his own little boy about the same age in the car too and they are driving home with dozens of police cars escorting them. When they arrive the mother (who has never lost hope) is coming home from the grocery store, sees the commotion at her house, and then her son steps out of the car. By that time I’m bawling uncontrollably – talk about a tear jerker!

Good morning, I had a dance practice this morning at 8AM so had to get up early - very unusual. It was tough dragging out but the practice was over by 9 and I've gotten an amazing amount of things done that I wouldn't have otherwise accomplished. If only I could keep getting up early but I'm not a morning person. Our dance group is competing in the "Eden's got talent" contest tomorrow afternoon - it's actually a fund raiser for the hospital, a good cause. We were asked to participate only a few days ago so we've been reworking a dance we did a few years ago in the Senior Olympics. The show is for all ages so we'll probably be the oldest contestants but we still have enthusiasm 🙂

Irene, DH is going to restain the wooden towel racks and toilet paper holder tomorrow. After they are installed, I'll post a picture.

I like to hear what everyone else is doing (or hoping to do). I've come to the conclusion that it's easier in the long run to do the work yourself that to put up with workmen in the house. We do our own painting for that reason. It takes longer but it's less stressful. We have a lot of packed bookcases so we do one wall at a time, clearing out, painting, and putting back - then repeating on the next wall. After a couple of walls we take a break for a few weeks. It gets finished eventually.

AND so many of you on the BBC have done or are doing it. {{Hugs}} to all of you 🙂

I wasn't finished :-). Sometimes things just post by themselves. I think that taking care of an aging parent is one of the most difficult things a person can do and one of the most admirable. {{Hugs}}

Ann, sounds like things have calmed down with your Mom since you posted a while ago. Good that she sleeps well and has an interest in watching TV giving you a break.

Delores, I know how you feel about putting off household projects. We still have painting that needs doing and hall and bedroom carpet to replace but I don't have the energy to face it right now - probably not this year. It seems that whenever something is spiffed up, everything else looks shabby - I prefer to think of it as "shabby chic" 🙂

Anne, Good to "see" you. How are things going with your mother?

JoAnne, our carpenter cleaned up after himself and covered the hall with drop cloths when he worked. He did all his sawing in the carport and even blew that off when he was finished. I was so pleased with him and will definitely use him again. As I have said, the plumbers were a different story except for the last visit - they must have read my mind. I'm SO glad this is over :-)!

Oh, and to the plumbers credit, they wiped up after themselves this time. Maybe they picked up on my vibe???

Plumbers came again - put in something new and leak is fixed. I tested it thoroughly! Finally everything is finished 🙂

We had a bad thunderstorm with heavy wind last night, completely unexpected although the weatherman did say it was likely west of us. No damage except twigs and branches in the yard. And today the temp will be in the mid 70’s. Snow is all gone.

Warning – Bathroom rant below:

I’m about to lose it over the bathroom plumbing. When the plumbers came last Friday they did everything except the sink since the vanity hadn’t been delivered yet. Then they came back on Monday after the vanity was delivered and needed a different plug or piping or something they didn’t have in stock for the copper sink so left saying they’d be back on Friday. This morning we got a phone call from their office (which got us out of bed) saying they were on their way. I was thrilled! They plumbed the sink and left. “Oh Happy Day” I said – finally I can get everything back into the bathroom! But as I was putting things under the vanity I noticed it was wet in there. Was it leaking? Oh, yes – badly, in several places. DH couldn’t fix it so we called the plumbers back and they’ll get here when they can. The problem is that they drag mud from the back door, through the kitchen and hall to the bathroom every time they come plus leaving dirty handprints everywhere they touch. I had already cleaned up all their mess this morning before I discovered the leak and now I’ll have to do it all over again when they come back. I’ve tried to be patient but I “abhor” and “loathe” having work done inside the house!

Warning – Bathroom rant above

Bob, poor Sentry! And poor you and Christie, it must have been really hard to lose a furry friend and never know what happened to him. Hopefully he found another loving home and lived (or is still living) a happy kitty life.

Irene, I’m looking forward to seeing The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel too. Don’t think I will wait for it to be available on Netflix.

Bob, I’m happy to hear that Dewey doesn’t seem to be suffering separation anxiety. When my cat, Izzie, died last November her sister, Cassie, kept looking for her – in fact she still does but not as often (thanks to Feliway). Cassie has now become tight with Annie, our third cat, and they both spend a lot of time playing in the (dry) bathtub where Izzie used to play. I think they can sense her spirit there. Years ago when we got Annie we took the carry case that had belonged to Chloe (a cat who had recently passed away) to transport her home. When we tried to put her into it, she was going in and suddenly jumped as if terrified and refused to go near it. We purchased a new one and she went right in with no problem. I think she sensed Chloe’s spirit and it scared her. Cats are mysterious creatures.

The bathroom is almost finished – vanity was delivered this morning, plumbers came this afternoon but there was a problem with drain for the (copper) sink so they will have to special order one and it won't be here until Friday. So still no water in the sink – no matter, we’re getting used to using the kitchen sink.

Bob, You are among many friends here who know exactly how you feel and are mourning along with you over the loss of Mama Mia. I'm glad you're retired now and will be home with Dewey as he, also, mourns the loss of his friend.

We got more snow than we had expected and it was a wet snow that covered the tree branches and was quite beautiful. It's melting now and the roads are clear. By the end of the week it's supposed to bet up to 70 degrees so it won't be around for long.

I’m home! Got a good sleep in my own bed last night. There’s no place like home.

This afternoon DH is finishing the painting and plans to install the new light fixture. Don’t know if the vanity will be delivered tomorrow after all because we’re expecting snow late this afternoon and overnight – only a few inches and I doubt that it will stick to the roads since temps have been running in the high 50’s and low 60’s lately. Still it’s SNOW – this first one this season. I’m excited :-).

Diane, LOL!

I was very different from my family in that I craved quiet and order and life with my family was messy and often noisy since there was no limit to the number of friends we could have in the house at one time. Being the oldest of 4 children I was fortunate to have my own room where I could retreat from the chaos – that was my salvation. My parents had only 2 rules: we had to do well in our school work and we had to go to church and Sunday school (Sunday school was often on Saturday morning, thus putting a damper on the whole weekend) without complaint. We were Catholic and the church was small without many children - none my age - and quite misunderstood among my school friends. But I set them straight when they had questions and didn’t suffer because of my faith even though I was the only Catholic in my school until high school. My Mom was very creative and was of the opinion that creative people could not be bothered with “orderliness”. I learned many things from her but housekeeping was not one of them - that I had to learn by observing the mothers of my friends. Growing up I used to wish that she was like “all the other mothers” but as an adult I came to realize what a gem she was. I knew I wasn’t adopted because I looked just like her :-).

The plumbers are at the house so it looks like I really will be able to break out of here tomorrow.

Good morning, The renovation is coming along and if the plumbers show up today as promised I'll be checking out of here tomorrow morning. The work won't be completely finished but we'll have a working toilet and a bathtub that is clean and unoccupied by any protuberances. The vanity won't be delivered until Monday and there is painting to finish. DH painted the top half and ceiling last week but the new bead board has to be painted and the wall above needs a second coat.

Growing up in this small Southern town there wasn't much opportunity for culture, not even in school. I got my love of books and classical music by osmosis at home - "monkey see (or hear), monkey do" 🙂

I also love the old episodes of Mary Tyler Moore, Rhoda, Cagney and Lacey, and Thirty Something, My So-Called Life, and Once and Again. There are more but time to leave my nest and go dance.

Diane, I love the Andy Griffith show also, especially the early episodes in b&w when Opey was so little and adorable.

As I knit here in the motel I'm listening to The Historian - new slant on Dracula and spellbinding.

Laurie, Watch Hoarders, Buried Alive while you clean your kitchen. Whenever I watch that show I want to clean something :-).

I've discovered a reality show on Lifetime that I like - Dance Moms. Those children are amazing dancers. Of course there's a lot of yelling and screaming among the moms but I can overlook it (or fast forward through it).

Netflix has a series I'm enjoying now - Mildred Pierce. It's not available through streaming so I had to get the discs.

Paula, I watch all the "Hoarders" shows even though I'm somewhat of a "neat freak". I'm intrigued with "human nature" and just how much we, as humans, are willing to indure - these shows are getting ever more gruesome yet I continue to watch in rapt amazement. Patsy, it is quite literally "garbage".

Looks (from the previews) like next week's Downton Abbey will be the Christmas show. I thought last night's show was the finale for this season so was pleasantly surprised 🙂

Here are 2 pictures that DH just emailed of our bathroom. The toilet still stands but I'm glad I'm not there!

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Good evening, I'm settled into a motel for the duration of the bathroom renovation. Diane, I'm hoping the carpenter who is doing the renovation will be our "handyman" in the future. He works alone and is reasonably priced - which, unfortunately for us but good for him, means that he is sought after so there's always a wait for his services. We'll see how he does and whether he shows up tomorrow (he absolutely promised that he would).

Good afternoon,

It’s a dreary day today and the talk about tomato soup has me craving it with a grilled cheese sandwich. My favorite tomato soup is Amy’s organic low fat cream of tomato – delicious!

Diane, I was happy to “hear” you say that you intend to solve the problem of “no comfy chair to read in” this year.

Bob, CONGRATULATIONS!!

We had good news from DH’s “Pulmonary function test”. He’s fine – no Emphysema, just Asthma which we already knew.

And another tidbit of good news – the carpenter is coming early Monday morning to start the bathroom renovation. I cleared out the room this morning and DH is preparing to paint the top half and ceiling. We decided it would be better to paint the part that’s not being replaced before rather than risking getting paint on the new floor tile, etc. after. Some touch ups will be needed afterwards but that’ll be easy. Since we only have one bathroom we’ve made reservations at a local motel for Sunday night thru the following Saturday. Hope it’ll be finished by then. DH will spend the days here but I plan to take my laptop, Kindle, and knitting and veg out watching streamed Netflix movies and reading at the motel (with a walk every day so I won’t feel entirely slothful).

Good afternoon,

Irene, has your snow started yet?

The place where I worked for 27 years closed so I was never able to visit - I definitely would have. Still keep in touch with a couple of people including my best friend who I met while working there. My next job was part time with the police dept in dispatch - visited a couple of times right after retirement but most of my friends there have moved on. I never enjoyed being tied down to a job so don't miss the working but I do miss some of the people. Congratulations!, Bob, retirement is so freeing!

Good afternoon,

June, it has been an unusually warm winter here too. By the middle of this week the temps are predicted to reach almost 70 degrees and the daffodils beside the front porch will be blooming in a couple of days. I’d like to see a little snow before spring…

I’ve been listening to a really good book ONLY while walking – Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. I have to slap my hand away from the player when I get home but it gets me out the door so I’m being strong.

Still haven’t begun the bathroom renovation but the carpenter did finally call and promise that we’re next on his list (I’ll believe it when I see him walk in the door).

We talked to DH’s regular Dr. about the Emphysema diagnosis and he sent DH for a pulmonary function test on Friday. We’re waiting for the results but I have a good feeling about it. I was in there when he took the test and he seemed to do well.

Roast is in the crock pot and it smells delicious. Downton Abbey is on tonight. It's the little things that make life good 🙂

My favorites are pumpkin pie and apple pie.

DH has had a bad cough that started with a severe cold right after Thanksgiving and has lingered. Finally this morning he went to the Dr. who sent him for an x-ray. Got a call from the Dr.'s office late this afternoon - he is in the early stages of emphysema. He has never smoked but was exposed to second hand smoke where he worked. Also he has asthma. He feels fine (except for the cough) and has no shortness of breath. We'll meet with the Dr. soon and find out more.

Casinokat, please don't forget to update us on Cheri's boys and Appollo. We're anxious to know how they're doing 🙂

Patsy, just got back from a long walk myself - cloudy day here and cold but a walk outside always makes me feel better. And I finished listening to Bag of Bones by Stephen King. Now I can watch the movie that I DVR'd - wanted to finish the book first.

JoAnne, I am SO frustrated right now but I understand why the carpenter is taking a large job over our little one. He works alone doing mostly tiling so if he doesn't jump when a contractor calls, they may call someone else next time. Maybe I'll try calling him again tonight when there's a chance I might catch him.

Good afternoon,

Casinokat, enjoyed the piece on Jacob last night and I, too, am wondering how Cheri's boys and Apollo are doing - please give us an update.

I'm getting discouraged about my bathroom renovation, or lack thereof. Everything is ready and waiting except the bead board and tile which the carpenter is supposed to order and install. But I haven't heard from the carpenter and he doesn't return my calls. I know he's working on another job right now but the last time we talked he assured me that he would get to us this week. I'm beginning to feel like a pest when I leave him a message so I've decided to wait until the end of the month and then look for someone else. Too bad because he came highly recommended - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he will get in touch.

I've had my Kindle for several years and I don't need wifi to load books. I can load a book from anywhere. But I can't use my Kindle for anything except reading books and it's in black and white (which suits me fine).

Enjoyed Downton Abbey last night! My favorite character is Bates 🙂

I'm currently reading We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shrive - very interesting character study.

Back from my walk feeling refreshed!

Bob, my antivirus program is avast and I got several warnings but just kept saying OK and plodding along - So Stupid! DH said the guy at the shop told him that the good news is they can fix it but the bad news is that I won't get it back before Monday. They explained the problem to him but all I care about is the bottom line - no computer until Monday, if then. He's at Walmart now to look at the inexpensive "netbooks" as a "fall-back" for when one of ours is being repaired. We spend entirely too much time zoned out in front of our computers but we enjoy it and we're retired....

JoAnne, this is a great place for getting movie and book ideas!

DH is coming in the door - bbl

Good afternoon, for the past couple of days I've been watching season one of Downton Abbey (streamed thru Netflix) - finished last night and this morning I started searching for season two. Found it on a site and tried to do a free download of the first show - BAD MISTAKE. I apparently got a virus which is the first time for me since I don't usually do downloads unless they're from audible.com or Amazon.com. Right now I'm using DH's computer and he has taken mine to the shop. I did do a scan first but found nothing. And now I have discovered that Season 2 will be showing on PBS beginning this Sunday so that's good (wish I had known it before I tried the download). I have really enjoyed the show so far so thanks to whoever mentioned it here :-).

New Year's Day meal eaten (take-out from a local restaurant - black eyed peas, collards, and corn bread - not as good as the New Year's meals from work but still good). Decorations are down and put away and I'm taking a break before dusting and vacuuming. Another holiday season over - it goes so fast (wish the sweltering dog days of summer would pass so swiftly).

When I worked we did inventory on New Years Day and we had some good Southerns cooks in the office who brought black eyed peas in a crockpot, greens (that were NOT out of a can), and corn bread that melted in your mouth. It was a peaceful time (because we were officially closed for inventory and the phones were quiet), doing inventory was easy, and we feasted all day enjoying each other’s company plus we always got several days off when we were finished – an altogether win-win situation.

I’m sitting here procrastinating about taking down the Christmas decorations – always a sad time – so better get busy. A large mug of coffee laced with hot chocolate and an audio book will help.

My New Year’s resolutions are the same as always: walk (&/or dance) every day, and worry less.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year! We don't do much in the way of celebration -maybe a glass of wine while watching the ball drop - one thing we have no problem with is staying awake until midnight and beyond. In the early years of our marriage we went to parties and had a great time - good memories. But the couples who gave those parties have long since stopped partying (as have we) and most have moved away. Patsy, love those pictures!

I bought an apple corer at the beginning of fall with the intention of baking apple pies - never got around to it but the little thingie is waiting if the spirit should move me :-). Mom had a recipe for apple sauce that she cooked in the crock pot that I'd like to try but the box containing all her recipes has been misplaced - probably on a shelf in my sister's garage.

Taxes: Ugh! I do our taxes since we don't itemize but last year and this year we sold some stock to do improvements and renovations to the house and that complicated things. We had an accountant do the part related to the stock and I did the rest last year - guess I'll do the same this year. I do it not to save money but because I like to keep our financial business private. DH says this is ridiculous and I could save myself a lot of irritation by just handing it over to an accountant. He's right.

Casinokat, On the Kindle you can download a "sample" of any book for free. It covers several chapters so you never have to have "buyers remorse" 🙂

oops - hit the button too soon. Contd: sil in Danville tomorrow for lunch. It'll be good to see them, especially the older brother and wife who I haven't seen in a while.
BBML

Hope you're all having a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS 🙂

We're spending a quiet Christmas today. I went to the vigil Mass last night and then to a friend's house for a "drop-in" get-to-gether. DH is still fighting a bad cold and running a low grade fever so he decided to do everyone a favor and stay home so as not to spread his germs around. We're planning to meet my brothers and

Sam, Your mom and you are in my prayers {{Hugs}}

Casinokat, Congratulations to Jacob and his mother - very exciting!

Patsy, I checked Netflix to see if they had Fitzwilly and, low and behold, they had it to "watch now" so I did. Definitely a feel-good movie. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂

staring = starring

My favorite rendition of A Christmas Carol is "SCROOGE", a musical staring Albert Finney from the '70's. Usually I'm not crazy about musicals but this one is GOOD!

Good afternoon,

I'm laying low today fighting a cold and I need to get better by tomorrow because there are things going on in the days ahead that I don't want to miss. Just watched The Christmas Wife staring Jason Robards and Julie Harris. The is on the top of my "favorite Christmas movies" list. Now I'm entertaining myself with some Sudoku puzzles. It's a beautiful warm day (70 degrees) so the porch is open - love sitting out there in the swing but it sure doesn't feel like Christmas....

"Retail Therapy" LOL, so true....

Liz, Wow! I wondered where you had been - so glad your recovery is going well. Thanks for sharing your symptoms and experience :-).

Irene, no, I haven't read every Stephen King book but almost every one, especially the early ones (which were the best IMO). There were a few of the later books that I just couldn't get into. I like his writing style which has a sort of cozy element to it even in the midst of "horror". And his imagination is like no other author's - he is in a class by himself.

Diane, very pretty old fashioned tree and love the crazy quilt too :-). And nice computer area beside sliding glass doors - a cheerful, sunny spot.

Lately I've been doing my reading from audible downloads mostly while I walk - I've finished 11-22-63 by Stephen King (excellent book - right up there with The Stand) and now I'm listening to Chosen by Chandra Hoffman - quite good and it gets me out the door - I try not to let myself listen except when I'm walking (or knitting). I'm thinking about listening to Drood by Dan Simmons next but only an abridged version is available and I never listen to abridged books. However even the abridged version of this book is 10 hrs, 33 minutes long. I've read a sample of the book on my Kindle and it perks my interest - a different side of Charles Dickens. Think I'll break my rule just this once.

Irene, Hope you find your Christmas spirit soon :-).

Diane, I just got the little Santa from your sister - it looks great in the Christmas village! You and your sister are so talented 🙂

Laurie, the "put a book on every bed" campaign reminded me of Christmas when I was a little girl. There would always be a new book (usually Nancy Drew or Cherry Ames), a pack of blank paper, and a box of crayons in my room on Christmas morning - a good memory (and a good way to give my parents an extra hour or so of sleep).

Maureen, I think that throughout your illness you have been a very courageous and independent woman. You're an inspiration to me and you continue to be in my prayers. {{{HUGS}}}

Good chilly morning,

We're going to a Christmas luncheon at our next door neighbor's at noon - looking forward to it - good company and good food.

Stamphick, DH was up until 3AM watching "24". I floated out of sleep enough to get the general idea. It's like a good book that you can't put down 🙂

Stamphick, After reading that you liked it, I decided to try "24" - just watched the first episode and I'm hooked.

Irene, Yes, the beadboard was the first thing I saw - looks great! And that's about the size of our bathroom. And love the picture you have hanging in there.

Maureen, DH and I were both bawling....

Irene & Diane, It's a small bathroom and this is not going to be an elaborate renovation. The bathtub (with shower) will be left alone except changing the fixtures - ceramic tile around tub is in good shape. We'll be putting in a tile floor (it is now linoleum), putting white beadboard a little over halfway up the walls with a small shelf along the top. New vanity, toilet, medicine cabinet, light fixtures and paint. We already have dark stained shutters and towel racks that we'll keep. Going for the simple "Shaker" look. I'd love to see pics of your renovations 🙂

Back from Lowes several hundred dollars poorer but we found some good fixtures, tile, etc. so now I’m excited about doing the bathroom renovation. The vanity countertop and sink won’t come in until December 28th so I don’t have to worry about the carpenter wanting to install anything before Christmas. Since we only have one bathroom (and I need it frequently), we may have to spend a few days in a motel during this endeavor.

Bookleaves, such a precious baby!

Carol, your daughter is impressive – you should be proud (as I’m sure you are).

Patsy, the vet put Izzie on Prednisone when we found out she had Lymphoma to help her appetite and give her an sense of euphoria and it actually put her into remission for several months – it’s a wonder drug for sure. Cute video of wrapping a cat – such a calm cat.

Jude, LOL (if it fits….)

I never watch commercials - everything is DVR'd and we fast forward thru them. Do you remember the Alka Seltzer commercial from years ago with a catchy tune (I can still hum it) and people moving to it (I think there was a cop directing traffic in there somewhere)? I absolutely loved that one!

Good afternoon,

Rainy day today but I don't have time to snuggle into my chair and read. We're planning a bathroom renovation after Christmas and the carpenter who is building the vanity called early this morning to tell us that he is starting it today so we need to go to Lowes to pick out the stain, counter, and sink. I thought sure he wouldn't start it until after the holidays - really don't want to deal with it until then. Just got back from a hair cut and I'm going to take time for coffee and a cookie before going out again.

Mysteryhorse, right 🙂

Mysteryhorse, Your office "after" picture looks neat and cozy. Now I want to see the "before" picture 😀

Diane, you really should treat yourself to a comfy chair - maybe as a "Santa" gift to yourself because you've been a good girl :-). Go to a furniture store, try them all out, and pick the one you can hardly bring yourself to get out of - you deserve it!

http://i41.tinypic.com/xlz5l5.jpg - Desk and sewing area

Jim, Gasp and double Gasp (LOL). It resembles DH’s workspace. Actually, I like the cluttered look – shows that you really use it.

Patsy, Love the books and cats in your spaces!

Mysteryhorse, Your leather chair looks soooo comfy! Oh c’mon – we want to see your office.

Bookleaves, Congratulations on the new Grandson! Looking forward to pictures.

I’m not having any problem loading the board today.

LOL on the "huge" settlement checks!