Hi Everyone. We are in for a sunny but chilly day.  Right now it is 33 degrees in our area and will only get into the mid to upper 40's this afternoon. Pat has a dental cleaning at 10 am so we will have to leave shortly after 9:30.  From there we will head down to the Church for our Senior's Luncheon.  Today the program will be presented by our organist/pianist and I expect we will be singing some Christmas hymns and some Christmas secular music as well.  She did a similar program last year and she is a wonderful pianist.  I am really looking forward to it.

Gloria, I was amazed at the number of machines the eye doctors had when I had the cataracts removed.  Your posting looks great this morning and is very readable.  I don't think hitting the keyboard keys harder would have any effect on what appears in the posting box.  I wore progressive lenses for many years but there was an adjustment period.  Your grandson is smart to beat the holiday traffic.  What a mess they have had at some of the airports, especially Chicago due to the snowstorms. 

Phyllis, it seems the problem with owning a home never end. Hope you are soon through with your roofing project.  Post when you can but none of us can make promises about when we will post.  I try to post in the mornings but sometimes life interferes and I don't get it done until late afternoon when I am not rushed. 

Callie, it congers up an interesting visual of you riding along in the car with a tumbleweed on your lap.  Glad your efforts turned out well.  I agree with you that a good conversation with a friend is more important than most household duties, which will still be there when the conversation is over. 

Carol, I don't like to open my door after dark unless I recognize the person.  I agree sending someone around to get a petition signed after dark would be a thankless job.  Nice of you to give them a flashlight.  Apparently there is an agency of the Federal Government working on something to limit the Robo calls.  There would be a big fine to the companies doing it if they could be prosecuted.  It really doesn't sound very promising. 

Mary Ann, glad that Tom did well in his driving in the snow.  I can see where it might be wise to use Uber on bad days and leave one's car in the garage where it is safe. 

Amy, I did try to post yesterday morning but just went back and it isn't there.  I was having a terrible time with my computer yesterday as it kept locking up.  I am still here.  It sounds like you had a close call on the roads.  Sure glad you all are safe and didn't take out any guard rail. 

Lindancer, I would be screaming also if lizards were crawling all over me. 

Don, Happy Birthday.  The thought just occurred to me that the extra $8,000 is sort of like free money and I bet that would buy a lot of classical CD's. 

Shirley, have you ever considered getting someone to come in and help with some of the housework?  It sounds like your house is getting to be too much for you to handle.  I know, Larry, mind your own business, but I am concerned about the stress you seem to be under as stress is not healthy.  I bet Michael knows are complaints are not directed at him as I know we all appreciate his willingness to keep things going for us and is very helpful to solve our problems.

AMY is 8:38 AM here in Missouri. still no emails from you here. are you in USA  phone service aria I have free long distance in all of USA. if you are and i had your phone # and a good time to I could call you and visit. have a great day. I am going to go get RV serviced and get ready to hit the road think Tampa Florida first. when the weather gets good in the spring may come in your direction but for now plan on going to Tampa and work along the southern coast line for a while.

Lloyd

Lloyd, check your spam folder...they may have went in there. I am in Ontario Canada

Good Morning Everyfriend!  My internet was off for the better part of two days.  The service guy was just here to repair the modem and  now I'm back in business.  I was just about to go into withdrawal. I couldn't even let anyone know where I was or why.

I did get some things done that I might not have if I'd had my computer.  and I'm still typing this on word pad and transferring.  I haven't checked to see if I can type on S&F but why take a chance.

My cleaning dynamo will be here this afternoon and my house really needs her skills.  Every time the doggies go out, they bring in sawdust from the trees being down, or mud from MORE RAIN!  And I'm also a dirt-tracker.  So we'll be very happy to see her come. 

PHYLLIS, it's good to see you posting and I hope you get everything in order soon and you can relax.

LLOYD, hang in there!  None of us are to old to adjust.  You just have to keep on keeping on!

Everyone else, I hope those who are missing show up soon and I hope those who are here stick around.  We all need each other and that's a fact!

Now I'm going to try typing directly into the posting box and see what happens!  HOORAY!  It's working!

Well, I  will have to start off by saying "Good Afternoon"

Yes, I have been missing for a couple days.  Just got busy with some much needed chores.  I had 3 pages to go back over to read.  But, I am fine.

Too many messages to comment on, but it sounds like everyone is doing ok. 

Gloria, so happy to see you back with us.  You just get in here any way you can. 

Don, glad you sold your condo.  Great that you made some extra money for it.

Nothing real special going on. It is quite cold and windy today.  Some mixed weather predicted for the week end.

I plan on playing cards this evening.  I have not play since before I got sick.  They all have been waiting for me to come back.  I am looking forward to going. 

I did get my hair done yesterday and did go to exercise class.  I feel I am getting back to how I was before I got sick.  Still have a difficult time getting myself going in the morning.  I am just not a morning person.  Usually, after about 4 p.m. I can get a lot done. If I could, I would do  most of my chores in the middle of the night, but I don't think the person under me or next to me would appreciate the noise.  But, that is the time when I really have a lot more energy. 

I spent several hours over the weekend going through piles of junk mail and tons of paper stuff and filing my bill's paid receipts. Now it is almost time to do it all over again.  Really piles up fast.  Plus tied up about 30 catalogs to put in the recycle bin.  I think my name and address must be all over the country. There are days where I get 4 or 5 catalogs and so many of them, I have never heard of before.  I like to black out my address labels on them before I get rid of them.  I did a lot of shredding over the week end, also.  That is almost a never ending job.

I guess I have said enough for now. Hope everyone is having a good day.

Joy
[/

Quote from: Lloyd Hammond on November 27, 2018, 07:46:31 AMANY no so far I have not got any email from you ( my email address is as folly's.)( bluweb37@gmail,com ) If my brain is thinking right today Gloria also wanted it go for it girls and have a good day.

Lloyd

Should be fixed now. I set the timezone based on what time you said it was in a later post in this topic (comparing that time with when the forum said that post was made)

This morning I had my hair cut and after that Tom and I went to the restaurant next door for breakfast. 

Joy, I'm ashamed to say that I usually don't miss someone until someone else mentions their absence.  It possibly is because I don't post regularly, at least not every day.  That could be why I usually write a book when I do write.

Jane, I can use my laptop during a power outage, but on battery it only lasts so long.  The battery would not last two days.

Phyllis, it was good to see your post.  I am glad I live in a condo, although I wish it was larger.  All of the outside work and roof work is paid for by the condo Association.  I can gut the interior if I want to (I don't) make any changes.

Gloria, I really appreciate the size print you use.  I find I can read your post in that size even without the bold.  I went past some previous posts in the small size because my eyes do not focus on the small size.  I can hardly see that it's there, let alone read it.  And I'm sorry my blue is blurry for you, but it does help me.

Mary Ann

My cleaning dynamo has come and gone and my house is shiny clean.  Unfortunately, I'm not the kind who keeps it that way.  But my plan is to finish all the kichen stuff this week and then do a tiny bit of decorating.  I don't do much any more but I do have some things I like to put out.  Mostly they are things the kids always used to help me put out.  I feel closer to those kids when I do this.

I'm off to forage for supper now.

I do not know but at this time it is 4:22 PM central standard time. what the computer and my desk phone say so that part must be fixed. now tomorrow i will check it out again. i took the RV and got it topped off on fuel and the propain tank filled so we will have heat and cooking gas.got a little cash, Nancy thinks we have to stop and eat in restaurant's to keep the economy in good shape.have a good fest of the day. my self I just want to get going to Tampa wade in the clear water at the beach maybe fiend some nice sea shells.

Lloyd

Lloyd, I am just changing my time zone (same as yours) & followed the directions from Michael so we will see if I got it right (after I post). Hope you have a good look at the weather in FL, last I saw it was supposed to be cold, so make sure you go with coats & hats... and don't bring home any of those shells with live critters inside!  Tell Nancy I agree with her, the only vacation we cooks get is on the road when we can eat someone else's cooking!  When we are camped I still cook, and when Cas was alive we got fast food & ate while driving. Safe trip & hope you find some nice camp grounds.

Jane, I do wish I could find someone to help with the cleaning, so far I can't get anyone willing to WORK for $20 an hour (to do anything). The lawn guy we had before this last one charged $40 & the neighbor timed him over & over, said he was done in 15 minutes. But that was 2 guys working. That was the crew that thought it would cost $500-$600 to clean the weeds out of the berm. With Bermuda grass all through, would be that much every few weeks or put a complete killer down & that would be dangerous for the cats & all other wildlife (including birds). I'm afraid we have made people believe they make more money by NOT working, young people no longer work at all. Our services are higher than what my daughter pays in St.Louis.

You are right, Larry, I do get stressed with maintenance around here but this has been doing catch up for the years before Cas died when he was too weak to tolerate a lot of noise and the years since when I was overwhelmed with doing "double-duty". There is not another place in Wichita I would like to live, not sure even a retirement place, and if I moved I would have to have the cats put to sleep. It is a fact that nobody else could take care of them, even my kids, this is their territory and would always be trying to get away if locked up some place else. Feral cats have a different mind set, no matter how old & tame they are with the people they accept as family. After seeing old LaurenKat locked up inside our house for 2 years one time, I swore I'd never do that to one again, more humane to put them to sleep than torture them 24/7. You would not go off and leave a baby to take care of itself... that simple. We changed their lives by taking them in. The Humane Society & other rescue groups won't take ferals, even when babies... they know it is a lifelong  commitment. I do need to find a reliable couple that I can trust to help with all the chores, at least to get caught up! I would get more done if I stayed off this computer, too...

Hey! My time is the right time, thanks to Michael's directions. Lloyd, you are also Central US time zone..... check it out![/size]

This has been another "nothing" day. I got up late, and just read, had a surprise call from my sister in law in Florida, which was a real surprise.. she was a little vague..or maybe it was me..... I have been eating light today, stomach not too happy.

We had a lovely day weather-wise, cool and sunny. I pray you all have a peaceful night and happy healthy tomorrow. Hugs, Love, and more prayers. June

From afar,observing, the new format is not user friendly

But grand wishes to all, make it a good night and bright tomorrow.

Mycheal         As well my day nor time is never right Cst

Just stopped by to say Good Night Everyfriend!  The doggies have had their last "outie" for the night and we're off to bed.

SHIRLEY, I was very lucky to find this gal who cleans for me.  Her daughter is a good friend of my granddaughter's cousin on the other side of her family.  Courtney, my granddaughter, actually came up with the name and phone number for me to call and it works out great for both of us.  When she is here, we set up the next time and if one of us has a complication, we make a change.  She comes and does the job and if she goes a little over her 2 hours she just does.  However, I started keeping a little extra cash around and if she goes over, I cover it.  She works for $20. and hour.  And she really WORKS!

Now I'm off to bed.  I hope you all have a restful night and a good day to follow.  And may God bless us, every one!

Good evening. 

We have spent the last two days getting our Christmas decorations out and placed.  Seems we get slower and slower. 

Today is the day our new grandson was due, so we hope he will make his appearance soon! 

DON, I am happy to read that your condo has sold and for more money than you were asking.  That is what happens here in our area as well. 

PHYLLIS, how nice to see your post.  I am sorry to read that you continue to dea" with the damage done to your home.  I hope you will soon have this all behind you so you can relax and enjoy the holidays.

LLOYD, the price of gasoline is down quite a bit so it should help you out a little bit on your drive t9 Florida. 

CAROL, we did enjoy our Bronco Game last Sunday.  They actually played like they wanted to win!  It sounds like you have a pretty busy schedule when you are here for the holidays.  We are a bit up in the air about our plans.  We hope to head out to California to meet our new grandson as soon as possible after he is born.  If all works out, we may go to Phoenix and spend Christmas, then back home to have a late Christmas with the family here.  It rather overwhelmes me to even try to plan it, so not sure it will happen🤪. When will you be arriving? 

JUNE, only a couple more days until we get to share OUR DAY! It is starting to look like my new grandson might just arrive on OUR day! 

SHIRLEY, as much as I would like to see you relocate and have less stress in your life, I know it would be very hard for you to have to make the hard decisions about the kitties.  I guess only you know best as to how much longer to can keep all of this upkeep at your home. 

LARRY, I hope you and Pat enjoyed your senior luncheon this afternoon. 

I must head off to bed, so pleasant dreams to EVERYFRIEND. 

Jenny

Good morning everyone...

Just a quick hello as my dance partner is calling...looks to be about 3 inches of new snow .
 
Enjoy your day everyone

AMY make sure you stay following well behind the snow blower like a good squeal dose it would surly skin up your feet. Have a good day.

Lloyd

All done..for now.
Lloyd, good advice to follow. I know from years of working with farm machinery it is always safety first. I shut down anything that I have to work on. I like to keep my fingers and toes")

Jenny ,what a birthday gift that would be to have a new grandson on your birthday!!

Jane, glad you are up and running. I know one does get a lot of work done when we can't play on the puter.

Larry, happy to see you back also.

Shirley, I believe you are right.....they get money given to them for nothing now and work is a dirty word. Not all think that way but a lot do. They know how to work the system and have no pride in themselves. With some it is a family tradition!

Gloria, I really said a prayer the other day when we were fishtailing on the highway..and another when I finally got the wiggle out of the van. Poor dog ,.,I must have scared her when she flew off the back seat.

Joy, we have the greatest thing for getting rid of papers that need to be discarded. our cookstove.

Gloria de...years ago when I was on the farm ,my Mom would come out and stay on weekends. One day we were in the kitchen and up through the cold air duct came a snake.Knowing what Mom thought of them I said look out the window Mom and DON"T turn your head ,while I went to get the snake. Good advice but she turned her head......I am sure the next town over heard the scream. I did manage to get hold of the snake and put him outside in the hay field .

Better get my work done, tea is over..
Enjoy your day everyone.

Good morning everyone at least the sun is shining this morning and it is just above freezing for a change. I have always liked winter weather but this year I think I will change my mind. Last evening listening to the weatherman on TV he was saying the coldest temperature on 11-27 on record was 9° in 1932. Glad it was not that cold now.

PHYLLIS  one time visiting my daughter in San Diego I looked up at the wall in the dining room and there was a lizard on it. My daughter calmly went to the wall picked it up and put it outside. Gave me the creeps. After that I saw a lot of them but outside. We have had more rain this month than out west they have in a year, at least we do not have the fires they have out there. NO NO don't shut up, enjoy your posts too much, just like Shirley enjoy hers, too. Then again there are days when I feel I have written a book in here.

LARRY  my grandson drove so it was the week end traffic he avoided by going on Friday. He is like my SIL he stops every couple of hour to get out and walk around a bit, he also had his dog with him so the dog must have enjoyed those stops, too.

JANE  I use notepad to type in and have got most of the years since I joined SN so many years ago. Too hard to jot notes and then trying to read them and type in the post box.

JOY  like you almost every day I get  a new catalog from places I never heard of. I tear my name off and out to recycle they go without me even looking inside of them.

LLOYD  lucky you, heading south to get away from winter cold and snow.

SHIRLEY  I seldom look at the time when I post. I did try to change it but who knows if I did that right.

AMY  I am so glad I no longer have to drive on snowy or icy roads. I have cancelled more appointments during winter months that now I do not make anymore in the winter. I would have screamed like you Mother if I saw one of those things, don't even like to think the word.


Have a good day.

well this am time is as it should be same as my desk phone both have same time posted. but my weather announcer is lying today it says clear and mostly sunny but it is very cloudy. oh well have a great rest of the day.

Lloyd

Hi Everyone.  It is a beautiful and cold (for us) morning that started out at 28 degrees  this morning and will only get into the high 40's.  However, it is sunny or will be nice.  A friend will be here in an hour to work with me and then this evening we will go to our last Wednesday night dinner at Church until after the first of the year.  Our cook and her husband are going to be away for a month to New Zealand to visit his family.  We are looking forward to spending some time with Scott this evening.  Yesterday I took the old spare laptop down for our granddaughter to use until we can get her computer fixed.  Fortunately it was still under the 90 day warranty and I should hear from them this week.  We had a most enjoyable senior luncheon yesterday.  It was very well attended, the meal was good, and the program was excellent.  Our organist/pianist played a couple of classical pieces and two or three Christmas favorites and then asked for the group to call out what they would like to hear and did two hymn medleys from memory.  Word don't express what a great pianist this lady is.

Lloyd, the Tampa area is nice.  We used to go to St. Petersburg, across the Tampa Bay, each February for Pat's cousins reunion.  It sounds like Nancy wants a break from the cooking chores when you are traveling on the road. 

Jane, glad to see your back posting.  We don't realize how much we use it until we don't have it available.  It is always nice to have our house cleaned again.  We don't track in much as are not on any surface usually but where there is cement and we come in usually through the garage where we have rug scraps on which to wipe our shoes.  We also have rugs outside and inside on our front door that helps.

Joy, I am just opposite of you as my energy is in the morning and don't get much done after noon and certainly not at night. 

Shirley, it was always frustrating when we were on a long trip to stop and eat and have it take a long time.  The last few years we traveled back to Missouri we went 400 miles each day and tried to get a fairly early start so we could stop on that first night at a fairly decent time.  Those lawn guys must have thought their work was platinum as that is a terribly high price to pay for manual labor.  From what you describe you do enough work for two or three people.  We pay our housekeeper $55 for three hours of work but we believe she is worth it and hope we can have her for a long time to come as she is very reliable and does a good job and leaves her phone at home.  We each must do what we think is right for us.

June, nothing wrong with having a nothing day.  I do hope you will be feeling better today.

Jenny, you are way ahead of us and Pat hasn't even mentioned Christmas decorations.  Fortunately the housekeeper is willing to help Pat get Christmas things from the attic and placed around and I stay out of the way.  I bet you jump every time the phone rings hoping it is the news of the new grandson.  We saw gasoline here yesterday for $2.01/gallon. 

Amy, you are getting a lot of practice with your dancing early this year or is this normal for your area?  My folks always had a big 50 gallon drum in our backyard for burning so they never had a problem with papers either.  I don't remember snakes ever coming into our house and if they did it would probably have been only a garter snake, which is all I ever saw around as I was growing up.  However, I gave and give all snakes a wide berth. 

Gloria, setting coldest day records isn't something any of us want to see.  However, indications and predictions are this is going to be a hard winter and it is getting a good start especially in the mid-west and NE.  It is always a good idea to get out of the car every couple of hours and let our blood circulate better.

Good morning. It is a cold and windy morning, but the sun is shining.

Larry, it is funny about me being a night person.  My husband was just the opposite. He was up early and raring to go.  However, if I have to be somewhere early, I can do that.  When we got married, we went to Atlantic City for our honeymoon.  On Steele Pier, they had a husband and wife mind-readers and we were picked for them to talk to.  They asked our birthdays and my husband was a Capricorn and I was a Taurus. When they heard we were just married, the wife commented that this marriage would  never last, as everybody knows a Bull and a Goat will never get along.  We fooled them, as we were married for 54 years.

I don't do much decorating anymore.  I have a ceramic Christmas tree that I made years ago, and that is about the only thing I put out.  And, a decoration for the door.  Nobody comes to visit, so I don't bother that much.  I usually help to decorate our little sitting area out in the hall, but they are having the whole building painted and the residents were asked to put things we might have by the door away. So, we decided it was not any use of putting things out for decorating our sitting area.  Seems like a bad time of the year to paint.  Not sure how long it will take to finish it all. So, this area will stay just as it is.

Gloria, I think the whole  eastern part of the country had more rain that it has had for a very long time.  I know I just heard that our state had more rain in November than ever.  And, we had a very rainy summer.  I am thinking that might mean we will have a lot more snow, also this year.  I did hear that Thanksgiving was the coldest day ever. I don't mind the cold that much.... just don't like the sleet and freezing rain.  At least I don't have to go out in it, most of the time.

Gloria, I am the same as you.  Most of the catalogs go right in the recycle pile without even looking at them. I like the Vermont Country Store one, but everything I like is just too expensive.  I would love to have one of the robes, but can't see paying $60 or $70 for a robe.  But, I do like looking at the things in it.

Phyllis, nice to see you back.  I am sorry you are still dealing with the damage to your house. 

Jenny, sure hope the new baby comes soon. It would be nice to have a special birthday present, tho.

Lloyd, good traveling wishes as you get ready to get on the road again.  And, yes the gas prices are down quite a lot now.  That will help out a lot, I am sure.  Hope it warms up before you get there. I talked to a friend yesterday, who lives in Port Charlotte and she said it was only 60º.

Looks like I have written another "book" , so I will "end this chapter for now". LOL

Have a wonderful day.

Joy

 

Joy, I have a similar problem, no one comes to visit - only family as a drop-in.  I do have some things I will put in the living area.  I quit putting up a tree long ago and the little kids won't be coming here.  I do have Mary with Jesus on her lap and a separate Joseph - Hummel figurines that I will put up where the cat can't get at them, nor would the little kids if they would happen to drop in.  I'd like Tom to string some lights around but he's busy and I don't know where he'd put them anyway. 

Tom is sub teaching today at a nearby high school.  He likes it when he can really teach and he is a good teacher, but sometimes he gets a computer science class that does everything by computer and they're knowledgeable enough to not need his help, even if he knew what it is all about.

We've been at 28 degrees since early morning and I have an idea we might stay there.  Boring!

Tom was going to leave me some tuna sandwich filling but I can't find it so I am eating a couple pieces of 15-grain toast, which I like very much.

Grand Haven is kind of quiet today.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann, when I moved here I left SO much behind, but I did take my Grandmothers what not shelves they are about 5 feet tall with five shelves grauating from large at the bottom to small at top. That is where I keep my Hummel collection. and as many times as I have had the little great grands here no one has ever told them "Don't Touch"and they never have. I have teddy bears and other odds and ends they enjoy.

I attended my

June, I'm more concerned about the cat than the toddlers.  The cat can jump to the top shelf and the little ones can't.  And the cat lives here.  These Hummels are only out around Christmas to after the first of the year and other Hummels are in the china cabinet.  Thanks for the word of confidence.

Mary Ann

Hello Everyfriend!  I couldn't wait to get home from work today.  There's a place on my back that gets very sore some days and it really hurts if I just lift my arm.  For the last 2 hours I was there, it got worse and worse.  But I put heat on it when I got home and it's better now.  Yes, SHIRLEY, heat AND Epsom salts!

LARRY,  I have rugs inside and outsid both doors but I'm darned if I can get the dogs to wipe their feet when they come in.  I can't even teach them to close the door behind them!  I don't know where their brains are!

They'll soon be bugging me for supper and I'm not sure what I'm going to have for myself....maybe spaghetti.  I have sauce and the noodles cook pretty fast. 

OK, I ran out in the kitchen and put the water on to cook the noodles.  So I'll be ready when Annie tells me it's time to eat.

HOORAY!  I just heard that my electrician is coming tomorrow at 2:15.  I sure hope it doesn't snow!

Jane, hope your back is better by now. I just finished a BIG pot of chili.... kept adding stuff until it tasted like I like. My tummy is so full I had to sit for a while. Tomorrow I will fix some cheese enchiladas to put under the chili & make some "hot sauce" to go over the top. Usually I have chopped lettuce & tomatoes on top but I've wasted too much lettuce to keep buying it. I usually go through the salad bar at the grocery store & get just what I want. Until the last couple years I always made a pot of green chili when I made the red chili so we had both kinds to put over enchiladas... think I may be getting lazy.  Plenty for all, pull up a chair. The hot sauce I make is the "green" chili without the meat (no beans in it, either).

I'll take a big bowl over to Andy & wife tomorrow. He has been concerned that his blood pressure came up a little since his last sneeze... but routine blood tests & the daily pump of antibiotic nurse tell him he's fine. His cardiologist said the same thing... all the paperwork is online now so every doctor or nurse can pull up the stats any time he calls, he mainly just checks on line. Times do change! I will make up some enchiladas for them, as well. As soon as she gets off work she picks him up & they run to the clinic for his "infusion"... & kind of hard to cook when on the road all the time.

I'd better go clean up the kitchen & those big pots... can't relax till it's done. I think we have one more day of good weather before another cold & wet front comes through. Gloria, I'm with you on not enjoying this winter cold like always before. You think we are actually growing UP (not old)....

Mary Ann, so far I haven't caught Tom or Tiger jumping up in the house... old LaurenKat sure could. She could just pop straight into the air like on springs. She only did it when in Cas' room, that where she was most comfortable & thought she owned the place. They are a lot of trouble but also a lot of company.

Joy, I have a ceramic village I made many years ago that comes out every year. I've been buying extra people over the years so that is my main decoration. Not going to put up a tree this year... and won't have to hang all that candy like I did. Still have left over Double Bubble gum from last year, found a whole bag I forgot about. The candy was long gone.

This is not getting those big pots washed. I use the big spaghetti cooker to brown the hamburger, it's so lean there's hardly any grease, but it gets drained good. In the big stock pot I put a couple tablespoons of butter to saute' onion, garlic & celery before dumping in the meat... & start adding the beans (always several different kinds), then I had a big jar of fresh salsa from Sam's Club so put in about 2/3 of it, instead of the canned diced tomatoes, some tomato sauce & a whole lot of Heinz ketsup... pack of Taco Bell chili mix for 2 pounds of meat... it kept growing. Had to make a dash to the store in the middle of things.. was out of the chili beans after I got started. Don't remember using them but I found several other things I needed while there (naturally). I'm tired, still full & better get moving.    

[
good late evening I am watching Rockefeller center, it has been on since 8.  Quite a celebration for the lighting of the tree.  I miss going into the city every year to see the tree and windows.  Also Never missed Radio City. the bus leaves from the park next week,  Years ago I would go in with the school children to see the tree.  I was a chaperone.  One year one of the 5th graders looked up and said that not so big.

Wow, Gloria de.... that's some great memories, to see that in person. I forgot about it being on, got the dishes, pots & pans done with TV on ION ... Blue Bloods. I like the cast but sometimes don't like the script. Time to go to bed, Callie Cat is outside, her choice...she ate her midnight snack & went to the front door. Tiger went downstairs & Tom laying here beside my chair. I have the wooden folding door latched so they can't go to the "other end of the house".  Hopefully I'll get some sleep tonight. Good night to all.......