Good Morning Everyone!
Well this week is about gone.  We have one of the twins coming over this morning to stay with us while his brother plays basketball.  But he is a good boy, usually, and give him an IPad and he will sit for hours doing puzzles and playing games.  He may be autistic but he certainly isn't dumb.

Thank you Amy, knew you or Don would know what I meant.  Bet hubby enjoyed getting out and about.  Just the two of you enjoying the day.

I hope June had a good night.  I hope she gets back into the routine of things rapidly.  She will be missed with her words of encouragement.

Joanie your food for the soul was really good this morning.  I enjoyed every word of it.

Anyhow, coffee should be about ready.  I will meet you out on the patio, it is just about the right temp for comfort.

Jackie, time will heal the loss and the memories of the happy times will comfort, of course people may wonder why you have that funny little smile on your face.

Good Morning everyone. well I got along the breathing machine fine, am anxious to get incision healed
so can try the new device VA gave me to keep my mouth shut at night. it is supposed to help or stop the dry mouth by makeing you breath through your nose and not open mouth. have a great day everyone.

Lloyd

Good morning halkel.  Glad you enjoyed today's "Food For Thought".  I have twin great nephews who are 11 and autistic.  They have never spoken a word, but are a whiz with the iPad.  I'll join you for coffee.

Good morning, Lloyd.  Glad you did well with the mask.

I hope Janie is OK.

Hi everyone on this Saturday morning.  It looks like our high this afternoon will be 71 degrees but sunny and no rain.  I did go to my eye appointment and found I needed new lenses and that the cataract in one of my eyes had grown quite a bit.  I made the decision to go another year before dealing with it.  However, to replace the lenses they have to send my current glasses off for about a week.  Since that isn't going to work for me I had to purchase a new pair of frames and will put back my old ones, which I got last year, as a spare.  For some reason I was tired the rest of the day and really didn't accomplish anything else.  Nothing on the schedule for today other than to clean and fix up some fresh vegetables and plan for dinner tonight.  I know we are going to have ham and acorn squash and if I don't run out of energy I will make up some coleslaw.  I am looking forward to watching some college football this afternoon although I see that South Carolina doesn't play until 4 pm and Georgia plays at 7:30 PM.  So my afternoon rest period shouldn't be impacted by football. 

Gloria, my wife recently made a Penzys order so we are well stocked again.  She has so many different spices, some as free samples from Penzys, that it is an adventure trying to find a particular spice in the cabinet.  Fortunately they are on a turntable in a corner cabinet so that helps. 

Joan, unfortunately Pat wasn't feeling up to the afternoon trip to COSTCO yesterday so maybe she will get there next week.  We are getting a double whammy on the glasses as she also needs a new pair and has the same problem of having to send hers off. 

Shirley, you are getting an early start on Christmas this year.  I am sure we won't do much in the way of decorating but will want to do some.  She has some angels and Christmas figures, including the manager scene, in a cabinet that is easy to get out.  I do remember penny candies and a nickle bought a nice little sack of candy to take home.  We have never had noodles with mashed potatoes and doubt that we will ever do so.  Glad your son was able to diagnose and fix your plumbing problem.

Sandy, as you indicate the little ones certainly enjoy Christmas.  We had the joy of one Christmas with our great grandchildren but probably never again.  We do not Christmas shop anymore unless Pat finds an item or two online to buy.  We give money gifts to the granddaughter and great grandchildren and their father. 

Sandy, I bet within a matter of a few weeks after the election the race for 2020 will start or certainly the speculation will begin.  I think we will all be glad when next Wednesday comes around and I hope there is a definite winner so the outcome won't be in doubt or be forced to the Congress should there be a tie in the Electoral College vote. 

June, we will miss your upbeat comments until you are back in your apartment and up to posting again.  That is certainly a problem you don't want to fool around with as it serious. 

Callie, where we voted in Georgia they had a special line with anyone with a handicapped drivers license to needing special consideration.  I am pretty sure all of our votes in the future will be by Absentee Ballot.  That sounds like a great system in Oklahoma.  What will the lines be like on the 8th? 

Lloyd, glad to see the CPAP worked for you last night and you feel better today. Did the VA give you a chin strap to keep your mouth closed at night?  My wife recently got one but doesn't use it every night although it does help with the dry mouth as she is a mouth breater.   I started using a different head gear with mine and now don't get the air leakage around the nose pillow as I often did with the other one. 

Amy, I haven't been able to buy pants at COSTCO as they never seem to have a 29 inch inseam so the 28 is too short and the 30 is too long. 

Hal, glad your grandson enjoys the iPad and can be entertained with the puzzles and games. 

Good morning everyone, a frosty one here. More normal than we have been having.

JOAN  I think my son misses being in the orchard again this year.  Thanks to the gypsy moth caterpillars that stripped his trees of leaves and buds. I know he had many repeat customers and the last 2 years there has been no crop, next year will be none either because there are no buds forming.

SHIRLEY  I heard of that Kodiak cakes from my daughter. She bought it at Costco. Her menfolk all liked it. I would like to have some but know I would not be able to make them.

HAL  hope that check book balances right.

JUNE  hope your care facility will work for you instead of a hospital stay. Prayers for you.

CALLIE  what a wonderful way to be able for you to vote. I'm glad to have the mail in ballot.

JOAN  my Mom made her dressing with hamburg and potatoes, she called it French dressing. My MIL made chestnut dressing and I love it. Used to get 4 pounds of chestnuts for the dressing. Now with the cost of chestnuts they would cost as much or more than the turkey.

SHIRLEY  I make the cranberries with oranges and walnuts and it is always a hit. I do love my fresh cooked cranberries and will cook a couple of bags  when they first come out and put in small containers and freeze. Always great anytime I have chicken.

JOAN  I'll pass on the western omelet, only one I like is a cheese omelet. Still a picky eater. Chuckles so often some of those things have happened.  Great Food For Thought. Thank you for all today's goodies.

AMY  glad you and Hubby enjoyed your drive yesterday. 

HAL  would love to join you for a cup of coffee.

LLOYD  glad I do not breathe with my mouth open. I often wonder how people who do not breathe through their nose make out in a dentist chair. At least the dentist I go to knows not to put the chair all the way down because then I start choking. Have to sit up some.

LARRY  I have all my spices arranged alphabetically.  Makes it easy to find what I want. Like you I want to wake Wednesday and find out who is the new president. Then will know if I am happy or in dread of the next 4 years.

Good morning, Larry.  Too bad Pat didn't feel good enough to go to COSTCO yesterday.  Quite an expenditure with you both needing new glasses.  Enjoy those football games.  I'll flip channels and find something to watch.

Gloria--Good morning.  Your son sure has had bad luck lately with his apple orchard.  I've heard of chestnut dressing but never potato and hamburg.     

Good Morning Everyone, from
the cool but sunny,  rocky coast of
Maine.

Hal....  I know that you misspoke and
really do love the Canadians..    I believe that you live there for a few years,  right? 

I also know that EVERYONE is a little
bit "whack a do" right now...   
Fortunately the end of this craziness
is just a few days away.   

And for that we are all very
grateful !

I got up at 5AM this morning  and started
in on my back room and have thoroughly
cleaned it out and organized what little is
left.       

I took a mess of stuff down stairs to 
give to the   thrift shop and low and
behold, it wasn't open !!!    So I had
to drag it all back up stairs again..   
(boo hoo) ...  But Monday Morning I
will take it down again.  I am getting
rid of allot of the "stuff" that I used
camping in my van when I drove
cross country in 2011.     

I never use it,  nobody wants it,
so I am getting rid of it.

I worked for about 5 hours arranging, 
rearranging and saying good bye to
my stuff  and right now I am really tired
but a weight has been lifted off
my shoulders.   

Oh happy day! 

Now to sit back and watch
some TV... 

Have a good day,  EVERYONE!
Sandy

Just heard the test sirens go off, as they do every Saturday at noon sharp  unless we're actually under a storm warning,
So I will say "Good Afternoon".

I think this must be the first year to offer drive-up voting for handicapped.  I'd never seen it mentioned before but an article in this morning's paper mentioned that all the precinct voting places (at least in the larger counties) will have it next Tuesday as well.

The article said almost 112,000 people in Oklahoma had voted early on Thursday and yesterday.  DIL went to do so this morning and posted pix of the line around all four sides of the church, up the driveway and the entire length of the big parking lot next to the driveway.   Early voting closes at 2:00 p.m.  I don't know how that's handled for those in line.
Edit:   She posted that it took her 2 hours and 57 minutes to get in to vote - but she made it!

It is not a nice day for standing outside, either - cloudy, chilly and a bit damp.   I went to the Memorial Service for a friend's husband this morning and am glad  I'm now "in for the duration".

Wishing Everyfriend Everywhere a Good Day.

Jackie, lovely photos of your Benji over in Photos.  I think he is a Cocker Spaniel but any I have seen in the US have "docked" tails.  Same with the Dobermans..... docked tail & ears, but I read that isn't allowed in dog shows in the UK.  My Doberman as a child was pure bred but didn't have docked tail or cropped ears and didn't look nearly as mean.  I talked to a couple breeders at a show here about buying one un-altered but they wouldn't consider it.  So I didn't bother taking their cards.  Benji has a beautiful tail showing in that one photo.  I know you are struggling with the relief that his pain is over but it is a terribly empty day without him. 

Gloria, have you got one  of the small skillets ... light weight & I discovered a perfect size for small pancakes.  So much easier to handle.  I pour 1/2 cup of water in my 2 cup measuring pitcher & pour it into a fresh coffee cup, then put the same amount (1/2 cup) of the flapjack mix into the measuring pitcher, pour the water back in & mix with a fork.  Makes 3 pancakes & that is all I can eat.  I put real butter on them & Mrs. Butterworth.  Pretty good & bet you could handle the small skillets.  I always used a big one before & surprised at what a difference it makes.

Sandy, I know we are on different sides of the fence this election and sorry I have such a dread about this year.  I have registered as Democrat, Republican & voted many times for an independent candidate.  I am convinced the people behind the parties are corrupt and feed on the power they have without us even knowing who they are, and we don't vote for any of them as a person but by party. 

My main fear is that a deal was made with Bernie Sanders, at least he was honest enough to declare himself a Socialist, anyone that doesn't have a clear understanding of what that term means should do their research, that he will have a big say in how the country is run.   It is a fact that "a time of dictatorship must be in place" to achieve the ultimate Socialism.  Workers won't work when others sit and get the same benefits.  Both parties are out of control spending and over spending.  Most of us have lived on a budget & will until the day we die, so should the people that run the government. 

I know you would like to see a woman as president..... I would not like her as a role model for my grands or great grands.  We have a man running for office in KS that I dearly love to watch his commercials.  Not a word has he said about the person running against him.  His wife made one to compliment his achievements & at the end he "approves the message and still crazy about the messenger".  His son also made a commercial for his father & Dad shows up to approve and loves the messenger".  Only kindness from this person and I heard he graduated top of his class at a military academy.  How I wish he was running for President.  This isn't the place for politics and I'm just making an observation of the facts as I see them. 

Like you, Sandy, I'm dragging out stuff & taking to the DAV or Goodwill and will be so glad to have room to dust again.  I'm bad about throwing things away, carry over from those WWII days when we saved everything.

Must get back to work.  I love the cooler weather, wish Mary Poppins would show up & snap her fingers to put everything in place..... my eyes are calling for sleep.

I keep checking to see if there is any more news of June.  I Googled her sodium problem and it is scary how many things can go wrong with our bodies that I never thought of.  Hope she gets her treatment & it works so she can come make her joyful posts again.

SHIRLEY...
....yes this home is so empty, for me the early mornings are the worst when I get up and I cant find him...I still get up very early, yet have nothing to get up for....and then when R brings Toby back from his walk, our - my Benji would come straight looking for me, so happy and I would often get another kiss....Benji is - was a Springer X Collie....we - I bought him from a farm, his parents were farm dogs...I chose him as a puppy because he had the shiniest of coats of which he kept until his last...I cant fault him he was the perfect dog, a bit funny with other dogs but loved all humans....very affectionate but was never a lap-dog.....I miss him so much...the pain so hurts...

Good evening....
As Jane would say I am all in but my boot laces...we had a fun but tiring day. Lots of vendors at the market and we had a delicious brunch afterwards.

I did a load of laundry and hung it out to be dried in no time..the weather is perfect,can't believe how warm it is for this time of year temp is 50° F at the moment.

Larry, hubby takes a 28 leg so that means shortening them .I would rather make a quilt than do that job but I will do it!!

Amy, my husband was a REAL Tennessee guy .... "ridge runner" they are called, and had one leg not quite half an inch shorter (or longer, which ever way you look at it    ) & wanted his trousers perfect.  None of the stores would alter the legs different lengths, they would alter but I had to make it right.  Since I always had to shorten everything I wear it isn't a problem. 

My sister came through Wichita years ago, after visiting a long ago friend... that showed her "how the professionals hem slacks".  So happened I have an old Brother sewing machine that has a zig-zag stitch....  it takes several stitches forward & then a zig (or zag).  It is all in the folding of the pant leg.  If anyone wants the method let me know, hard to explain without my hands waving.      

well good morning everyone. well the keep the mouth  shut head band did not work well, so off it went quickly. I also was very restless last night , my head mask came all apart not broke just had to snap it back together. so I did and just got up . may take a nap on the couch while watching a western movie.
hope you all have a great day. I had a good start dunking some cookies in a cup of tea sweetened with Honey from my bees.

Lloyd

A new week for Soda Shoppe begins HERE.