Really rewarding when the guests seem to enjoy the food & conversation like they did today.  Of course, could be because they've all missed being together with ANYONE or eating out for such a long time!    The pork loins were a hit, tasted pretty good to me as well, but think the left overs will become BBQ meat! 

All 3 of my kids had conspired to gift me with techie stuff that would allow me to yell, "Hey, Google" and will turn on lights, play any kind of music I prefer, or have a camera aimed out to the front door to see who's there or call me or whatever I want it do do. Trouble is, I don't have a list of commands and already forgot the "name" to call the adapter to plug into a regular socket & then plug in whatever I want to control... like my Christmas village lights... to tell to turn on or off.

I can ask the radio to play music or tell me the weather... or anything else I AM smart enough to think of! Not sure I like them having all my tracking information.     Having enough trouble coping with the changes in the car & now my house is a puzzle. I am going to bed early, got up about 5:30 am & no nap. Daughter isn't going back to St.Louis until Wed so I won't put away decorations until they leave. I am anxious to clean house & get rid of excess... have not done thorough cleaning since I got sick so do have plenty to do.

The snow/ice is supposed to start overnight & continue tomorrow, no big accumulation expected but never know what will happen. I have everything I need, so "let it snow". Hope all are safe & snug. Cats ate & wanted back out, they won't want out tomorrow. I do wish they would realize it would be nice if they went potty outside instead of waiting until they come in to use the litter box!   

Good Morning, Everyfriend!  SHIRLEY, my granddaughter gave me a year of Amazon Prime and that's enough to confuse me.  I understand about getting my orders immediately and the free shipping.  But it says I can get books and music and other stuff too and I don't understand that stuff yet.  Frankie is going to give me lessons....I hope!

This morning, after Cooper comes I'm going to make a quick trip to Davy's and if he doesn't have sauer kraut, I'll go on to one of the supermarkets.  Daddy George (my grandfather) would be very upset if I didn't have sauer kraut on Neew Year's Day!

I hope everyone is having a pleasant day and that it continues to be that way! 

Good morning everyone..

Gosh, did I sleep!! Dancing with Mr SB  tuckered me out!

Chasing dust bunnies today after I take Kyle to the lumber store.

May make some raisin bread later on..I was going to do that yesterday but the day was mixed up a tad.

Isn't it great that we have grandchildren that can set us straight on all the gizmos they have out now.

Better shake a leg and get moving..

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

It is bright and sunny here but a tad chilly.  No snow for us, thank goodness, but we will have rain for the New Year.

I hadn't even thought of traditional "lucky" food for New Years.  Just wasn't a tradition in my family.  Around here for some people it is Black eyed Peas and Collard Greens.  No, thanks.  I'll just take whatever luck comes naturally.

I'd like to make some bread, too, but don't know if I have the gumption to do it.  I've been really lazy lately....even more than usual.

Take care, All.

Good morning everyone, not  feeling that  grea t this am. My back is really acting up and hard siting here. I will be glad to get  a massage with  the Hempvana pain cream. First thing when Yvette get s here and maybe a second massage before she leaves. It is a nice sunny day and no reason for the pain today.
Think I will ge t my oatmeal cooked and hope  to eat it, not hungry.
  I will  try to do bet ter tomorrow.
Have a good day and s tay safe.

Well, Frankie was running late today and didn't bring Cooper over.  She has a neighbor who will take him out in the middle of the day for her when necessary so he'll be alright.  I almost cancelled my trip to Davy's but I decided to take care of all Mickies needs and give it a try.  She saw me take my coat out of the closet and picked her spot to sleep while I was gone.  And she was still in her spot when I got back.  No crying!  I'll try that again sometime and maybe she's adjusted to the the fact that I WILL be back.

I have Chicken Rice soup simmering for lunch.  It's making the house smell really good.  I hope it tastes as good as it smells!

We had some snow flurries this morning.  Nothing on the ground and only here and there in the air.  The temps are supposed to be in the high 30s and low 40s the rest of the week and actually hitting 48 on Saturday.  It'll feel like Spring! 

GLORIA, I hope your back rubs help.  No fun having that kind of pain!

Gotta go stir the soup!  Enjoy the rest of your day, Everyfriend!

Well, my day also got mixed up!! Went ot go in to town and the heater wasn't working so I pulled into the garage and now have a 1 pm appointment. Took Kyle down to the lumber yard to pci kup what he wanted only to find my phone was dead and you can only phone orders in due to look down. Back home we came and the heater worked, then quit then worked and it did work all the way home. Phoned the garage and told the girl my vehicle was having hot flashes but we are still keeping the appointment as there is something going on. Got Kyle to phone the lumber yard to order what he want then back in we go to pick it up. Threw a beef barley soup in the IP and got a plate of goodies ready for the folks at the garage and now back in I go!!

Janie, our soup was ok, not enough barley in it for me so I put more in and it is cooking now.
Bet your soup is delicious!!

Happy New Year!

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Neat card, Patricie... & I'll be humming the tune all day!!! Thank you.

Raining but at least NOT ice. Cats are not happy so didn't want to go out.

Gloria, sorry the back is giving you fits & hope Yvette stays healthy to be able to
give you those back rubs with Hempvana when needed. Wish it worked on my knees but it
hasn't so far. Think it would make a difference if I did it every day for a week? (I've
only tried it twice & was not back to back).

Amy, isn't it maddening when these vehicles do that... Our last conversion van had been wonderful until one day on the opposite side of town, it wouldn't start in 100+ temps.  Had auto-club start it & followed me to Walmart to have a new battery put in. Thought that was the only problem, but we ended up having everything possible that concerned with the power/starter/belts/etc... and it would start fine, let me made 2 or 3 stops for quick errands & then it wouldn't start again. Double checked everything & it sat in the drive way for at least a year, Cas even surprised me with a new little car... until I was at my son's house in the van, he told me to turn it off & assured me he would start it if it didn't... he tested something & was a break through moment & realized it was the ground strap that had come loose!  He put on another & it ran fine only I put a for sale sign on & sold it from the driveway. I'd love to have another just like it but none made anymore. Moral of that story is "don't get rid of what you have!" no matter how aggravating they can be.

Think I need a few more zzzzzs before getting dressed. Fed cats & myself but may eat lunch before a shower & dressing. Did not get enough sleep last night... tummy was not happy with all the chocolate "turtles" I ate yesterday. Will do better today.

Now, Jane & Phyllis, if New Year luck food was Russell Stover turtles, I'd go for it! I have to be in the right mood for sauer kraut & have never tasted collard greens or the black eyed peas. Always a meat & potatoes type eater!    

Why is it that a train whistle sounds lonelier in rain that sunshine? I hear the noon train that rolls through Wichita yelling it's head off because everyone hates getting caught by it & tries to get across before the arms come down. I am at least a mile from the tracks but sound carries along the river, especially with heavy cloud cover.

Good morning on this second to last day of what has been a nasty year! We're back to flirting with zero again, above it and then below it for days at a time with so far no normally cold weather. Of course, January and especially February are our really severe cold months, but with climate change, everything has been topsy-turvey!

Someone asked management when we would get the vaccine here and was told that since this is neither a nursing nor assisted living home but simply independent senior housing, we would probably be in a second or third-tier depending on our individual circumstances.

Shirley, I'm glad you liked it. I've always enjoyed that done with the sounds of different clocks! Perhaps one of your family could type up the instructions for all that new Google tech and put it in a binder for you? I wouldn't say I like the new Amazon Ring doorbell because some of them have been recalled due to overheating and possible fires.

I've not been cooking anything unless you count stir-frying or reheating something,  no real appetite, and no real activities to speak of. It seems to take longer to do something and more time before, thinking I need to do it. My arthritis has been acting up with all the rapid temperature and barometric changes.

Yesterday it was in my long arm bone and just ached. Today it's in my fingers. If the weather would just stabilize for a bit, all that would go away, or at least until the next time! Nothing significant, I guess I just need something to complain about.      

Well, the temp here is about 65 degrees, give or take a couple, cloudy, overcast.  A bit of wind, too.  Earlier it was a "the sun can't make up its mind" day...I would turn off the lamps/lights as it was shining brightly, then in a few minutes, would go behind the random clouds, and I'd have to switch lighting back on!  Oh, well, I'm expecting "perfect" after the year we've had? LOL!

Yesterday, my daughter brought me home from her house (about 50 miles away), where I had spent five wonderful days, eating delicious homemade treats and a special Christmas Day meal, with cornbread dressing and giblet gravy.  She didn't do a turkey, but we had a lovely pork loin.  She made buttermilk pies, and apple tarts.  Good thing I took all my stretchy pants!

Back home is nice, but I do miss her company (and her cooking)!  I've done a load of washing, paid a stack of bills which are due the first week in January, going thru emails and spam; the number of which boggled my mind.  Just be away from your computer for five days, and watch what happens.

I'm not doing any cooking for a bit, as I have some lovely pasta with hamburger/tomatoes/cheese, which my neighbor gave me, and I froze it till I could get back home to it.  It's tasty, free and painless to warm up!

Nice to hear about everyone's Holiday gatherings/non-gatherings/meals shared and the many phone calls sent and received.  Not a lot to be said for 2020 in total, but I think the Christmas Holiday was a bright spot for many of us, who live alone and/or in lockdown.

A Blessed New Year to All of You! (I will celebrate a birthday at 12:02 AM, bringing the total years to 82 - - Whoopee!)

This was a slow motion day for me.  I got some things done but not at a rate to be proud of.  The soup was good for lunch and there's enough left for tomorrow's lunch, too. 

The walking outside wasn't so bad today.  It was cold but not windy!  That helps.

PATRICIA, I liked the clocks, too!  Thank you for sharing!

Now I'm heading for the haystack.  I sure hope it's loaded with zzzzzs because I can hardly keep my eyes open!  I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy, healthy, germ-free tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one!

Tomereader,  !

              

I hope it's a good one!

Good morning

We are to warm up a bit and get snow later on today.tis 14 ° at the moment. I have a 10 am appointment in the city and after that we will pick up Kyles sweater at Marks. He has two to return but they are not accepting those till after the lock down.

Gloria, hope the back rub stopped the discomfort in your back. You really have a gem in Yvette...she is a keeper!

Shirley, this is the second big ouch I have had with this vehicle but  rather have the problems outside the house than within. On the upside we do have heat now.

Patricia, love the card, thank you for sharing. We have an old grandfather clock that chimes every 15 min. Beautiful dep resounding Westminster chime. Hope today is better for you a no achy day.

Tome, not sure if today or New Years day is your birthday but Happy birthday to you..just incase it is today.

Better go get my city dudes on..

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

Good Morning Everyfriend! 

TOMEREADER, I took it to mean that you were born right after the New Year began some years back!  Just in case I'm wrong...whenever it is, I hope it's a happy one!

It's nice to have neighbors that bring you meals now and then.  Mine (with one exception) are all in my age bracket and the other one goes to work at 2 p.m.  However, I do come home from my daughter's with enough food to last me a GOOD two meals whenever I go there for dinner.  And my SIL keeps me in venison, elk, duck, chicken and eggs.  I have to cook it but so far, that's not a problem and I love them all.  And I forgot about the pheasant.  He raises chickens and is an avid (and true shot) hunter!

It's almost time for the boinger so I'll wish you all a good day....better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow.

Good morning everyone a brr 20 now at 7am. Got my back massage yest erday. boy she sure pays attentiong to where I tell her it hurts and she works that area till it feels better. Woke early, not that I wanted to. I don't know if it is the smoke detec tor or the fire thing but it ha been beeping for a lont time now and no one to call about it yet. Don't have the number for the maintenance man so will have to wait till someone is in the offices to call. It is so annoying.

JANE  BET that soup tasted as good as it smelled.

AMY  been ages since made beef barley soup but it didn't come out good. I lost my ability to cook anything anymore except my oatmeal every morning.

PATRICIA  all those clocks would have the men in the white coats coming for me. I like the sound in  the JL card but living in a house wi th all those clocks would be different.

SHIRLEY  no rain here till Friday-so says the weather guesser. If you tried the hempvana 3 times a day on your knees it could work. I mabage to put it on when I  get up and at night before bed, of course it is hard to do and cannot rub it like Yvette does.

AMY  glad I no longer have a car to worry about but still miss the independance I had. I don't think I would dare try to drive now the way I feel. 

Have a good day and a healthy one.

Yes, Amy and Jane.  The birthday is 2 minutes after Midnight, New Years Day. About when everybody is finishing up singing Auld Lang Syne! I was the second baby born on Jan. 1st.  A little boy beat me out by 1 minute.  He got the best prizes.  I did get a little silver cup! Thank you all for your "best wishes". My kids both try to call me at 12:02, to see which one can beat the other one to the punch.  I used to be able to stay up (awake) to see the New Year in, listen to Guy Lombardo (on the radio back then), and present day, watch the ball fall in Times Square. It's pretty hard to do these days, I get sleepy early, then can't sleep when I go to bed! 

So, 2021 has simply got to be better than this year.  I'm wishing you all a Happy, Prosperous, Healthy 2021, filled with Love and Encouragement!

Good morning.  Clouds are coming in and it is supposed to be rainy through the New Year.

Did you feel the earthquake this morning, Shirley?  My great niece in Wichita posted on Facebook that she felt it but some of her friends in other parts of the city didn't.  Apparently it was about a 3.8.

Quiet here with no plans for the day or for the New Year's Day.  Our dinner will be delivered tomorrow...a 3lb. beef pot roast.  It will go in the crock pot along with carrots and potatoes on New Year's morning and some fresh baked garlic bread for dinner that evening.  Sounds perfect to me.  I haven't planned dessert yet but will come up with something simple.  We've had too much sweet stuff lately, I think.

Nice surprise this morning when I checked the bank on-line.  The virus stimulus check was already there ready to be deposited.  It will be helpful but I'd rather have an end to the virus.  We can just keep hoping that will come soon.

Take care, All.

I'll wait & wish you a Happy Birthday tomorrow, Tome! NO, better do it right now since my brain hasn't kicked it full time (since Covid... my other excuse!)  So...............

Happy Birthday for the new kid of 2021~~ Hope it turns into the best year EVER.    

"Running around like a chicken with it's head cut off...". Is that just an old Missouri expression or the rest of you hear it growing up. I'm sure my kids never heard it.... but that is what I'm doing this morning.

Got up at 4:45 am because I told Google to wake me at 5:00 am. That is why I quit setting alarms, my "body clock" insists on waking me up early every time! So I was awake with bare feet on the floor when the earthquake it at 5:04 am. Center was other side of town but was felt strong enough TigerKat stopped & looked at me to see if I was going to run or what. The house really shook at the 3.8 quake. My friend lives near where the fault is & so many have rocked the area since Thanksgiving. Radio says all reports say has nothing to do with "fracking" or anything but normal shifting. When the other side of the world gets a whopper the movement eventually hits the center of the US>

Lloyd called early to see if I felt it.... and to say his computer is in the "computer hospital" instead of HIM!  So don't worry about him right now. We didn't talk long because my daughter & SIL are stopping by to pick up stuff on their way home to St.Louis, and I was still in my robe & had to take a shower before dressing. Weather guessers say we will get a whopper of snow storm starting tomorrow night so I need to get groceries for me & the cats just in case. Want to get the snow blower out of the shed & into the garage, gassed up in case. Daughter is at the door...........

Narly 11:00 am and still working on what to do first. Daughter stopped by & we got her loaded up but forgot to put in some Ritz crackers to munch on the road. Still need to go to the store & also clean a spot in the garage for the snow blower.  Better make the store run & add a layer of clothes to do the outside jobs.  Will need long johns & half a dozen layers for the wind chill today.

Sure did feel that quake, Phyllis, the hardest ever for my house. I sometimes feel the ones from OK but a few felt over here on NW side of Wichita, of those hitting NE corner of the city.

I have an old Kindle Fire I play solitaire on & daughter gave me a newer one that she didn't use anymore... I had a weather app on the old one that quit working so got out the newer one to see if the app would work on it. Discovered with all the new wiring & connecting devises, that one didn't get connected. Because our old system (wi-fi, etc) had been put in maybe 25 or more years ago, the new Google stuff didn't like it so #1 son did some changes & this particular device missed the change over. There was a whole string of things they checked out (Fitbit, too many to think of). Next kid that comes over will take care of it!

Frustration at it highest today!!
Day started of with a few snow flurries but as we got further down the road it had thickened up a bit....then cleared. Stopped to do some business at a bank and they "lost" the item we were discussing... what was to be a 10 min sign this paper turned into 35 min.

Finished that then went to pick up Kyles sweater.....phone didn't want to work right so I go the attention of one of the girls in the store...she beckoned you need to phone..told her I tried.  She then came to the door , I said we were there to pick up a parcel...would you like cash or card? No, you need to do that over the phone.........which I had tried to do when we ordered the sweater but the girl said no...pay when you pick up. Now it has started to rain while we were standing outside. Told her of the phone call and she then got the manager.......to make a long story short... it all did work out in the end and he now has his sweater.
Headed for home in the rain that soon turned to snow and white knuckled driving. I am so happy to be home, fire going and tea in hand now.

Snow flakes as big as dinner plates falling and Kyle just brought in the mail.......a seed catalogue!! So I am sitting here looking at all the veggies and lovely flowers while the snow it doing its thing.

Good Afternoon,

Shirley,  your earthquake showed up on my Oklahoma earthquake website.  Said it was 4 miles from Belleaire Kansas.
There have recently been quite a few almost 2.0 quakes just north of Enid.  Maybe they all joined together and moved northeast.

Forecast was for "pouring rain" yesterday and most of today.  It did rain hard enough yesterday for me to cancel or reschedule two appointments.
However, I could see patches of blue sky when I opened the drapes this morning and it became sunnier as the morning went on. So I scurried around (well - "scurry" being a relative term for me  ) and got some errands done.

I had been determined to have the tax estimates post-marked in 2020 but put off doing it and was convinced the weather would keep it from happening.  First stop was the downtown post office where I rarely go because it's always crowded. Amazing! - I was the only customer!  Mission #1 accomplished     
Then I swung around to the FedEx place because I needed help figuring out how to use the label I'd received and had to print out in order to return some printer ink that didn't fit my model. Easy peasy and I'll know how to do it if there's a next time; then I can put it in a FedEx drop box.  Mission #2   
Had gotten a call that some med refills were ready so stopped to get them and, of course, found a few other things I needed.  Mission #3   
Felt very smug as I drove home, 

Latest report from "Covid" family is that they all feel better and have been outside throwing a ball for the dogs.

My Sooners play in the Cotton Bowl tonight.

Well, so much for the Smug feeling.  Just pushed my chair back and knocked over my work table---lamp, cell phone, and a bunch of other things. 

Have a Good Evening, Everyfriend.

I'm on my way to the haystack but decided to stop by and wish you all a good night.  Today was about half-way productive.  I had two great big sweet potatoes that I either had to plant, throw away or cook and I decided to make a small pot of sweet potato soup.  I had it for supper and it was goooood!

CALLIE, glad to hear your family is recuperating.  Sounds like they're on the way to recovery!

I wish you all a peaceful night's sleep and a happy, healthy, germ-free tomorrow.  And may God bless us, every one!

Good morning ..

Temp is dropping to 26° at the moment with a high of 29° today.

My dance has been cut short this morning. Last night while watching tv I saw flashing lights in the driveway
 only to find out the neighbour was plowing it for us!!Just a little hand work left to do, that Kyle will take care of and I will make trails in the backyard for the dogs with the snow blower.

After the outside work there is lots to do inside...what will get accomplished is beyond me but some will get done.

Gloria, I think that beef barley is one of my favourite soups..along with chicken noodle.

Callie, seems to me you did get a lot done...go ahead and feel smug. Happy to read your family is on the mend.

Shirley, thank you for letting us know that Lloyd is ok.....computers can be fixed. Better it  than Lloyd in the hospital.

Phyllis ,your dinner sounds perfect! Easy, all in one pot and delicious as the flavours mingle!! You may not have room for dessert.

Better get ready to meet the day..

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

Enjoy Guy Lombardo..

Happy New Year and may 2021 be a year of  happiness and health. I must admit it will be so nice to look at 2020 in the rear view mirror!

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Amy, good morning and thank you for the music altho those crowds give me the shrudders!      

Patricia, you are welcome. As I said in Norms Bait  and Tackle I also don,t care for crowds ,  this is why I shop early. 

Good Whatever-part-of-the-day it is!  I thought I'd been here but it seems I wasn't!  It's been one of those days!  My personal shopper (my daughter Cathy) started early this morning and I guess that's what threw me off schedule.  I see Gloria hasn't been here either!  Maybe she's as forgetful as I am!

This was a sort of "see it and do it" day!  I started to put the Christmas stuff away but I didn't get very far!  I don't seem to have the "go system" turned on!  I think I over ran it getting ready for the holiday and now I have to wait for it to get back in gear. 

I hope you've all had a good day...better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow.  I'll try to be more "visible" tomorrow!  I hope some of the other people are too!  I miss them when they don't come by!

Jane, me too!
Some just need a phone call. 

If you all will go to llerrah.com and click on the picture that says "New Years Wishes" it has some wonderful thoughts.  I hope the link works for you, if not, just type it in your browser.