Friday, December 11, 2009

Here's to the Weekend & The First Night of Hanukkah

Happy Hanukkah
Time to relax and take in some of those things that Mother Nature gives us, just look up and
there it is...and it is free.



































191 comments:

Coreen said...

Getting a jump to the weekend, let's see where
it goes. In the meantime, I'm taking a deep
breath and heading out to the Mall....See you
later...

Anonymous said...

"take in some of those things that Mother Nature gives us, just look up and
there it is..."

Right on Coreen. Sometimes we need to be reminded of that, to take the time to inventory all the things in our life that are important (and those that are not), and to realize that everything we need to be happy is right there outside our window. (.. well, except for our heaters, they're inside) :)

.. Beautiful Pictures Coreen. A nice way to start the rest of my day.

Anonymous said...

Be careful out there in those shopping crowds Coreen. You're a brave women.

Ivy Green said...

Pictures of Serenity, Coreen. Thank you.

I braved the Post Office today. Why do they let postal workers go to lunch at lunch-time? Back in the day when I worked retail, no employee got lunch at lunch-time. That's when the crowds show up.

Ivy Green said...

Happy Hanukkah, y'all. We will light the first candle tonight. We don't usually get them all, but we try to get the first and the last, at least. There is nothing else "religious" we do any more. I have a little joke with Hubs that I converted to Judaism and he converted to Scottish (golf is his true religion.) A perfect "mixed marriage." lol

Anonymous said...

Have a wonderful night Ivy. Living alone on the west coast I celebrated a lot of Christmases with Jewish friends. Hanukkah gelt was always in with presents. :)

jan said...

Coreen, beautiful pictures and a lovely post to begin the weekend. We often forget that the some of the best things in life ARE free - the sky, cloudy days (I love them), the sunset, snowy days and just being alive. Thank you for reminding us.

jan said...

Ivy, Happy Hanukkah. "I converted to Judaism and he converted to Scottish (golf is his true religion.) A perfect "mixed marriage." I love it!

jan said...

Chloe, I am with you. Anyone who braves the shopping centers and such this season is a courageous person. I actually am going shopping tomorrow with my D-I-L's. She is a dear and always goes with me to help me pick out something for her husb (my son). She and I find what we each want to x-mas and buy it on the spot and then give it to each other and are "quite surprised" at the family party. She has been my "daughter" for 26 years now and I could not love her more if I had given birth to her.

Coreen said...

Ivy, Jan, & to anyone else I may have missed,
Happy Hanukkah...

Carol said...

Beautiful pictures Coreen. Yes the planet provides so much beauty and you seem to capture a lot of it Coreen. Are you still carrying that camera in your pocket?

Happy Hanukkah to whom it may concern and happy golf to those who find happiness there.

The year seems to be roaring by. Even Friday slipped on me this week. I have a lot to do this weekend to get ready for my party next weekend.

Hope your surviving all your cold up there Solar. I'm feeling for ya.

Anonymous said...

I guess everyones already heard this (or doesn't care): Tiger Woods to take ‘indefinite’ leave from golf


I read this morning that she had given him an ultimatum, her or golf, so apparently it was true. Now we know which one he chose. I figure they may go live in Sweden for a while, then in about a year she'll leave him anyway. Or maybe I'm just a cynic.

Anonymous said...

Carol, I didn't realize how cold it was in Chicago. I guess Solar is used to it, but those kind of temperatures have to be miserable. Hopefully, they didn't have any power outages.

Solar, if you're around, I sure hope you'll check in and let us know you're doing ok.

Carol said...

Chloe, Iphoney said it was 2 degrees in Chicago yesterday. I got frostbite just thinking about it.

My new heat has been a big success. This is the first year that I have spent any time out here when it's cold. I usually didn't come out here much in the winter except on mild weekends.

Carol said...

I don't think that Tiger is happy with his marriage. His behavior says he's not. I don't know if spending a lot of time together can cure that. I'm betting she will end up leaving him or they will decide together that it is not what they want. I certainly don't think quitting his career is the answer. He will eventually resent that decision.

Anonymous said...

17 here tonight. Quite a bit different from the 73 three days ok.

I don't think Tiger's infidelity is any reflection on his marriage. A lot of times it's about the hunt and the conquest. Though I'm surprised these affairs have lasted as long as they have.

Tiger may just be trying to prove he can get these women, or feed an ego that may never be satiated. Remember what a perfectionist he is. He may never feel good enough.

Or it may just be an addiction fed by a very compulsive obsessive personality.

Anonymous said...

You're right Carol. There's usually a strong effort to keep things together, but eventually 'the problem' that caused the problem catches up with them.

I'm glad your heat has worked out for you, especially since it allows you and Maggie to stay where you want to be, at your camp. You're going to have a very busy week, then after you're party, Christmas will be almost here.

Anonymous said...

"Or it may just be an addiction fed by a very compulsive obsessive personality."

It's really hard to say why he had to have so many women, and whether or not it was about addiction. But I do really think you're on to something, when you say he is a perfectionist, and may never feel good about himself. It seems to me that he must have been looking for some kind of reassurance, maybe even proving something to himself. Apparently he had a emotional relationship with many of these women too.

Carol said...

I'm looking forward to the party but get stressed worrying about getting it all together. As for Christmas, I will be glad when it is all over Chloe.

Anonymous said...

Me too Carol, and I know exactly what you mean.

To keep yourself from worrying about it, make sure your lists are very thorough and go over them often. Also, make sure you write key things on a calendar, or else make your lists calendar like. I'm like you on the list thing, I'm always making lists and writing things down. It helps. Just the act of writing it down, that alone makes me feel better.

Anonymous said...

Carol, I complain, but I'm always happiest when I'm planning something big, like a trip or a party or whatever. Although, I'm not doing much party giving anymore, and that makes me happy too. :)

Coreen said...

Hi all,

Just about finished with my projects, amen & since you are talking about tiger woods,
Right now on Dateline, NBC, they are doing the tiger woods saga, seems it was all about vegas,
hanging out with michael jordan & I think they
said charles barkley (not sure, I have it on in
the background, gambling, hi-rollers, lots of
access to women for the taking) & they are about to say that he was exposed because of women getting into a fight.

Carol said...

This is the 4th party like this I've done for my peeps so I got most of it memorized. It would be nice if I could do a lot of it ahead of time but most has to be done the day before or the day of. I want everything fresh.

There's a special all about this Tiger thing on NBC. Makes me glad I'm not rich and famous or married to someone who is.

Anonymous said...

"they are about to say that he was exposed because of women getting into a fight."

Oooh, The pieces of the puzzle come together Coreen! The things you just said are starting to make a lot more sense now. He was hanging around with guys that had different values than him, maybe. Then his values started to change. Ha.. just a bunch of guess work here.

Anonymous said...

The 'rich' part doesn't sound too bad though, Carol. But it would be weird to turn on the TV and see everyone talk about it every time you screwed up. It's the same old 'heat-kitchen' thing, I guess.

Coreen said...

Don't know that they had different values, again when you are rich, famous a celebrity, everything is given to you on a platter & the
temptation is hard to resist for a good many of them....

Anonymous said...

See you all tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Drew coming up on CNN. Now he's someone I'd actually listen to on this.

Anonymous said...

"the temptation is hard to resist for a good many of them...."

Yep, probably not real complicated. He was probably just horny.

Carol said...

Nite Chloe.

I just can't believe that Tiger's wife didn't have a clue about any of this. Even if she was comatose, she'd would have had to know that he was up to something. Women know these things. He wasn't even careful. Maybe it was alright with her until it became public and she was publically humiliated.

Coreen said...

Nice going Chloe, no mincing words...& likely
the truth....

Carol said...

Maybe this little reality shock will have some influence on other guys who might be thinking about doing something similar. It doesn't usually turn out well. And maybe I'm just thinking like a woman.

Coreen said...

Carol, not a chance...

Carol said...

Your right!

Coreen said...

Carol, have you planned your menu for the
party, how many people will be coming, if you
don't mind me asking...Does Mary come over
too...

Coreen said...

The one night of the year that I actually get
a meal ready is Christmas Eve....but its not
like cooking since its baked stuffed shrimp.

Carol said...

That's cooking Coreen unless someone else prepared it and you just turned on the oven. I guess that is still cooking.

I like everything about the food prep, including the shopping for all the food, when giving a party. I'm really worried about the cleaning up before part. Since I moved out here, it's getting pretty cluttered.

Carol said...

Since Mary's son and wife will be coming the same weekend, it will be a party for them also. I already had the party planned when I found out they were coming that weekend. It works out since I wouldn't want to do something like this twice in such a short time.

About 30+ people Coreen.

Coreen said...

No I get the fish, I clean them, mix the stuffing, get the salad stuff, sweet potatoes,
but buy the stuffed clams, & calamari already
made...sometimes I actually bake a cheesecake
the only thing I know how to bake, but not sure if I will do that yet, I make it with
cream cheese & sour cream.

Christmas Eve is usually 8 of us, maybe 10, which is all that I can fit at the table, so it
works out.
Someone will bring some appetizers, my best friend bakes christmas cookies, so we usually have a good menu.

Carol said...

Sounds really good Coreen.

What makes it a challenge is that I don't even have a regular oven/stove out here.

Coreen said...

Carol, 30+, now that's a party...and I'm sure that it will go very well, the anticipation before an event is often more stressful than
the event, just trying to remember that everything is ready, but I'm quite sure you
have it covered.

Coreen said...

Do you get everything cooked at your other house & bring it all over to the swamp...

Carol said...

No, I do everything here. I smoke the turkey in a smoker. I start that very early the morning of so it is right out of the smoker.

I get a brisket, already smoked and just make my BBQ sauce. I use to do it myself but Sam's is just as good and saves 16 hours of fighting that smoker.

I warm and keep the brisket hot in a big turkey roaster.

I have a small convection oven I make the spinach artichoke dip in and then keep it hot in a slow cooker thingy.

I can cook the ham in the convection oven. I have an assortment of plug in appliances I use for other things. It's a challenge but fun. I even have to be careful how many hot things are plugged in in one area.

Carol said...

I'm my own three ring circus. It's probably pretty amusing to watch.

Carol said...

Maggie stays out of my way and waits for something to hit the floor that she can eat.

Coreen said...

Time for me to say goodnite Carol, will check
in tomorrow...And it was really cold here, but
not as bad as upstate NY where they got 2 feet
of snow & wind...Hopefully, the wind has let
up, cause that was brutal today.

Hope someone hears from Solar soon...

Carol said...

Nite Coreen. I looked over at the Trail and he wasn't there either. I, too, hope he is OK. Soooolar, check in.

jan said...

Just got back from the movie - we saw New Moon. John actually liked it.

Enjoying reading all the comments since I've been away.

jan said...

Just realized I had not signed out from earlier this afternoon.

Carol & Coreen, Its fun to read about your plans for your parties and cooking. I am getting hungry reading your menus.

Chloe, you say you are happiest when planning a party or trip.

This is where I differ from all of you. I don't like to plan or have parties. I do have them but only b/c I feel I need to sometimes. It is not my favorite thing to do. I don't feel like I know how to entertain people. John is great at entertaining though - so I do the planning and cooking (or gathering food) and John is in charge of "entertainment" I find it very stressful though.

jan said...

Carol, you are amazing that you can do all that cooking without a real stove.

jan said...

"I don't think Tiger's infidelity is any reflection on his marriage. A lot of times it's about the hunt and the conquest"

I agree with Don. I too believe the affairs are not about the marriage or even his love for his wife. I think sometimes people have an insecurity or absence of something in their own lives or psyches that drives them to do something like this. I do feel very sad for him and his family.

jan said...

Good nite all.

Carol said...

Coreen, while playing with Iphony in bed this morning, yes, that's all I got, I accidentally found the Youtube you linked yesterday. I don't know how I missed it. I wonder if everyone else missed it because I don't see any comments about it and I would think it would have certainly drawn some comments from our group.

I bet it was because your pics were so good that the link was missed. I found it because while touching my Iphony screen to move down the page I must have hit the link and it opened the little video. It's a really cute video with all the little animals and a great weekend song. Check it out guys if you missed it.

Carol said...

I am still thinking about Tiger this morning and thinking about how his life did share some common threads with Michael Jackson. He did begin the prep for his career at an early age, pushed by his father. He probably didn't get to sew any wild oats until later in life.

I doubt any of this would have happened if his dad was still around. I don't think he would have wanted to disappoint or humiliate his father. I do agree that some of it could be part of a grief response from the loss of his father.

Could be that the reason he tried to maintain a little relationship with these women is because he didn't feel comfortable to just screw em and leave em. A nice gesture.

Other interesting things is that Tiger was thought of as a great "black" golfer. He really didn't have that much more black in him but it was just the dominant color of his mixture.

From Wiki: "This makes Woods himself half asian (one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter Thai), one-quarter African American, one-eighth Native American, and one-eighth Dutch."

He is heintz 57 like most of the rest of us. It seems if you have any black in you are considered a black person with all the good and bad that brings with it. A good is that whatever one accomplishes, it's seen as more of an accomplishment if a person is black, and a bad is that many assume that a black person is born with a greater athletic potential.

Another bad is that being considered black he is expected to be a role model for other AAs. Who would want that albatross around their neck?

Carol said...

And really guys, I disagree that all this doesn't reflect on Tiger's marriage or love for his wife. Hey being able to disagree is a priviledge of hanging out at the Swamp.

If Tiger was my man, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to do all that playing around because my ass, back to ass again, would be right next to his with kids in tow. I wouldn't have given him the opportunity for all those temptations because yes, he is only human.

And if he truely loved his wife, he wouldn't have been spending so much time in Vegas. It's not like they've been married for many years and the new has worn off.

I can already hear some of your counter arguements.

Carol said...

I was trying this morning to get a breakdown of Obama's heritage. I really couldn't, like I could for Tiger.

I think that being part AA was an advantage for Obama. I agreed with what's her name, that vice presidental candidate, who said being black at this time gave Obama an advantage. She sure got shot out of the saddle for saying that. At the Swamp we don't shoot, do we?

His being black did give him an advantage in that it protected him from many insults, at least from the media and his peeps took advantage of that.

No one wanted to pick on the black guy, unlike the woman, who offered great sport to pick on. Even though there were some who would not vote for him because he was black, there were just as many, if not more, who voted for him because it made them feel more evolved, more enlightened.

I didn't care if he was half giraffe, I was worried about his connections to some of those seedy characters and that he must have some powerful rich backers that got him in the door. We are starting to realize the problems from that which I knew we would. Money always talks and all those politicians listen. They have to. That's pretty much why I wanted out of politics. It just ain't going to get better no matter how much we beat the dead horses.

Feliz Navidad. And sorry if I bored ya with my ponderings this morning.

And Solman, where is the hell are you? Whose got the number for the Illinois State Troopers? Chloe, did you plant that little tracer in Solar like I asked you to? I can't find him on my Iphony radar.

Carol said...

And what worries me is that if someone here doesn't check in, how do we know if they are injuried, sick, or locked away in a mental institution??? The latter would most likely happen to me.

Don, we need those tracking chips and I want them to work with my Iphony. I'm sure it is possible and I'm sure you can do it. It could be like that thing they put in cars. It should be able to talk to ask if everything is alright. Then we could send out an ambulance or straight jacket, whatever is required.

Carol said...

My vagina monologue is complete now. Hey I've got to give it something to do because you know what they say, what you don't use, you lose.

Anonymous said...

" I don't like to plan or have parties. I do have them but only b/c I feel I need to sometimes."

Jan, It always starts out as feeling like 'I have to' also, but then once I get going, and the adrenaline kicks in (for days or weeks,whichever the case) I always feel good while planning it. Once it comes together just right, there's that sense of accomplishment. But believe me, I do it less and less all the time now.

jan said..."I don't think Tiger's infidelity is any reflection on his marriage"

Right on Jan! I just read yesterday about Jenny Sanford, married to the governor of South Carolina, filing for divorce from her cheating husband (who you might remember was having an affair with that Argentine woman. )

Here's what she said: ""Certainly his actions hurt me, and they caused consequences for me, but they don't in any way take away my own self-esteem," she told ABC's Barbara Walters. "They reflect poorly on him."

... now that's the way all women 'should' feel when this happens - because it's true. It's his fault, 'not' hers. If there are marriage problems, there are other options. One can separate, before they start to go to bed with everyone in sight.

Anonymous said...

Carol, You said if Tiger 'truly loved his wife', he wouldn't have done the things he did. But I think he does truly love her. You have to take into consideration that the quality of everyone's 'love' ability varies drastically from person to person. Your idea of love may differ quite a bit from someone else's idea of love. Some people's 'love' is so much more valuable than that of others.

" Chloe, did you plant that little tracer in Solar like I asked you to? I can't find him on my Iphony radar."

Carol, You do remember that Solar does this on a fairly regular basis, don't you? I do. This weather thing does have us all a little worried though, and we all miss him. So I hope he checks in soon.

Mary said...

Coreen, I also missed that Delbert McClinton video you posted. When Carol mentioned it, I went back up and found it. I LOVE IT. That was a great song and video. I've never heard of that artist before but I really like him.

Coreen said...

Quick drop in this a.m. We are going to see "White Christmas", being performed locally.

Glad you found the Delbert McClinton video, thought you would like it.(loved the different animal pairs)..He is a big Imus fav, Imus
used to play that song every Friday before
his radio show ended...but not since he was
simulcast on either of the tv channels.

Carol said...

Oh drats, I just found 98 karaoke songs I have not opened and tried yet. I guess I'm going to have a little problem with my focus today.

Anonymous said...

Carol,
Yes, all of that can be done with your cell phones.

I'm wondering about Solar too. Not only because I'm concerned because he doesn't disappear like this, but because there's just way too much estrogen and relationship stuff going on here. We need a good political argument or theory of the unified spiritual universe
:^)

Carol said...

Doing a little Creedence and refrigerator cleaning. Works well together.

Carol said...

Ok Chloe, I've made my list. Now I'm going to have to find a u-haul to carry to WM, Sams and points beyond.

You know what is interesting? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway. I didn't know most of the words to so many of these old songs until I got them on Karaoke. They are pretty darn interesting. Some real meaningful lyrics. Like Jan, most of the time I couldn't even tell what they were singing, I just mumbled along.

Carol said...

Just finished listening to the Bohemian Rhapsody. Pretty heavy song. When I listened to it as a young person, it didn't make me stop to try to figure out, what in the hell were they thinking? Now I want to know. Especially cuz there's other work to be done.

Solar said...

Hello,

I haven't read anything from the last time that I was here but will get cought up.

I like this post because of the message that we keep talking about...the cirlce of life that contunues; by apprecitating it all...will go and start to catch up...I will be doing this for a little while until I finsis what is going on...

Carol said...

Oh, the prodigal son has returned. Whose going to go kill the fatted calf? Not me. I'll just take some steaks out of the freezer and a quart of shrimp for Coreen.

Solar said...

Carol,

It has been pretty cold (early) here; but like I told Chloe; what ever is's doing, its ok by me..about the onle thing that I cand say is that is has kept me a little busy with helping people with car problems..they just don't take the time to prepare for the cold; until its to late..but did mangage to get a little work: I started insulating and weather proofing an apartment building.

CHloe, sounds like you have been pretty busy, all of this time...shopping and taking care of all of the animals that you love ( and like Coreen said my Hoss Cheyenne ) will take a lot of time away from the swamp and other things..Emma is just like you when she starts to get a little older..she is absorbing all of what you do.!

Solar said...

Coreen,

Thanks. You keep teasing me with those chocolate canolis; and will have to go and get one, in order for them not to have any power over me..a frozen one.with a hot cup of hobo coffee.

Pasta, speggeti, Macaroni, whats the diff?

Solar said...

ActullY, I do know what the diff is..I like them all, specially if cheese Raviloli's are on the menu. I use all organic pastas now; and wheat or other grains if I can help it.

It takes a lot of work to make the souce from scratch; but when I don't; I burn a cop of pieces of suseeech in a steel pan, and put some of Paul Newmans sauce with it...very good, not as good as the home mande.....



Tiger Woods is getting the last word from me that I will say...he must have wanted to get caught....sometimes guilt has a lot to do with the actions that someone takes...or he is just not a bright person, off the Golf course..

jan said...

Solar, so glad you are back. Hope you have been having fun. We missed you.

I prefer the organic pasta and whole grain.I am not wild about marinara sauce. I prefer a topping that contains some veggies and some tomatoes -but not sauce. I like to make a concoction of sauteed onions, canned diced tomatoes, mushrooms & marinated artichokes over pasta.

jan said...

Solar, you are a kind and generous person to help people with car problems. I am so fortunate to live close to a son who takes care of my car problems but I also have Triple A - just in case.

People in Montana are great about stopping to help others who have car problems - no matter what the problem. I have not lived anywhere else where you could always counth on that - that was in the late 1970's - hope that hasn't changed.

jan said...

Off to do some xmas shopping.

Anonymous said...

"Emma is just like you when she starts to get a little older..she is absorbing all of what you do.!"

Scary, huh Solar. :)

It's about time we heard from you! You had everyone worried. You know how I feel about the way you disappear from time to time, but glad to see you're back.

Well, at least you know you're loved. (And Don was starting to feel the way you used to, when you were then only guy here.) Ha!

Anonymous said...

"sounds like you have been pretty busy"

... only as busy as I want to be. I seem to be very capable of putting things off, if I don't want to do them.

I'll never be too busy to read this blog though - when possible, I even pop in while I drink my morning coffee. I love it when I'm the only one in the house that's up before daylight, and everything is as quiet as can be. To me, there's no sweeter sound than total silence.

Maybe that's why I like this type of communication. The only voices I hear are the ones in my head.

I saw the other night that you said you thought I'd enjoy transcendental meditation Solar. I don't know why I've never taken the time to learn how to do it. Maybe some time you can explain the best way to begin. Others here might be interested too.

Anonymous said...

We really did miss you Solar. You have a very strong presence here. Hope you stick around.

Mary said...

Solar,
So glad to see you back. I was even trying to think of a joke just to get you back but for some reason jokes go in one ear, I laugh, and they go out the other ear.

Carol said...

Sitting in traffic. Love Christmas.

Ivy Green said...

Coreen,
Thank you for the menorah photo. I love that the shamos candle shown is wobbling off to the side. I can never get mine to stand up straight either. lol

Your Hebrew lesson - Whazza shamos?

Coreen said...

Just home, have not read the posts yet but saw
that Solar you finally checked in & I would be
yelling at you if I wasn't so happy to know
you were ok...

Ivy, it was a pleasure to add the menorah to the post, had I know ahead of time that you
celebrated Hanukkah I would have done a little
more...for some reason I thought you were catholic & celebrated Christmas.

After supper, I will return to see what else
happened today, not sure what time you all
commented at this point...

Ivy Green said...

Coreen said, "...for some reason I thought you were catholic & celebrated Christmas."

Coreen,
We got 'em all going on here. If I add a new religion, I do not delete the previous one. I have done a lot of sharing here about my Catholic upbringing. It was formative and I appreciate what it gave me.

My Jewish friends will ask if I still let my mother give me Christmas presents. "Of course," I say, "if it makes her happy, it's a mitzva!"

(^_~)

Ivy Green said...

Almost time to announce the winner of the Heisman trophy. Going to be a big let-down if our guy doesn't get it.

"Ingram seems to be the front-runner in what is expected to be a close vote."

...and the winner is...

Anonymous said...

Solar,
What were you thinking, leaving me alone with all of these pinks? I was getting ready to drink soy milk and cry at the end of movies.

I love some of the art on this site, especially this Menorah. http://www.canaan-online.com

Anonymous said...

Coreen, I see you arrived home safely from your mall trip. Hope Carol arrives home from her shopping trip soon too. It's bad out there.

"... did manage to get a little work: I started insulating and weather proofing an apartment building."

Solar, For some reason I didn't see this before. I'm happy that you found this work, and the people you're doing the work for are very lucky to have found you to do it. The worse the weather gets, the more this type of work will be in demand.

Anonymous said...

I know this is a weird thing to link, but when I saw their pictures, it made me realize how much I miss these people:

"When another year winds down, we look back at what moved us, and death always enters the picture. Some of those who left the scene had the power to change our lives. Others informed us and entertained us. Some deaths were expected and others took our breath away. Here are some of the notable deaths of 2009."
Notable deaths of 2009

Anonymous said...

"If I add a new religion, I do not delete the previous one."

That is 'very' cool Ivy.

Ivy Green said...

We are like a minute away from the Heisman...

Ivy Green said...

It is...

Mark Ingram!

Carol said...

Congrats Ivy. A friend just called me and told me.

Ivy Green said...

Pretty damn cool. Not like "I" did anything, but thanks. We always talk Alabama football in my Monday-night gang...one gal there this past week asked rhetorically, why do we always say "we won" or "we lost" as if we had a frickin' thing to do with it? It's not like we were down there on the field. lol

Ivy Green said...

And to think only a few years ago, Auburn people were wearing their "Tuscaloser" tee shirts.

Ivy Green said...

Don,
Thanks for the Hanukah art...very unique and intriguing.

Here is a work by the renowned artist Ted DeGrazia of Tucson that a "work friend" gave me years ago as a farewell gift when I left and moved to Texas... On the back of it, she said she would always remember me. We never contacted one another ever again. lol

From original oil DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun-Hanukah Festival of Lights

Ivy Green said...

Besideways, Don. We "pinks" were talking football. There ain't no cryin' in football. lol

Ivy Green said...

Well, maybe there is a little cryin' in football. Ingram cried tonight from joy; Tebow cried last week from shame.

Carol said...

Ivy, do you thinks these sports would survive without the fans who support them? Maybe golf since regular people like to play and you don't have to be good to enjoy playing it.

What bowl does Alabama play in this year? When do they play? Who do they play? Isn't that considered the national championship?? These may seem like stupid questions but I'm not that knowledgable about college football, I just get excited about my local teams when they are doing well.

Ivy Green said...

Even though his namesake father is serving time in jail, Mark Ingram spoke about his love for his dad and gratitude for what he learned from him. Perfect example of focusing on what's good and leaving the rest.

"Ingram came to Tuscaloosa from Flint, Mich., the son of the former Michigan State and NFL receiver of the same name. Tide coach Nick Saban had coached the elder Ingram in college.

Mark Ingram Sr. was a Super Bowl hero for the New York Giants, but last year he was sentenced to almost eight years in prison on bank-fraud and money-laundering charges. Then he did not show up at the federal prison in Kentucky to serve his sentence, which might cost him even more time.

The elder Ingram was found hiding out in a Michigan hotel the same day his son played Utah in the Sugar Bowl last season. He has been serving his time in a New York City holding facility, where he’s better able to watch his son’s games on TV."

Ingram delivers

Ivy Green said...

Carol,
I am stuck on my slowest computer because my laptop is still in the shop with another oinker-virus.

But here is the Wiki-scoop on the BCS championship game between the Crimson Tide and the Texas Longhorns. Ingram was up against Colt McCoy, Longhorns QB for the Heisman who was last year's runner-up for the trophy.

BCS_National_Championship_Game


Some in my Monday-crowd are making the pilgrimage to Pasadena. Not me. I'll probably be in Colorado.

Carol said...

Do you ski Ivy?

Anonymous said...

Beautiful work Ivy. We so often argue over our differences, instead of celebrating our similarities.

No, you weren't talking football. You were talking an award and crying and father and...

Ivy Green said...

Carol,
Not anymore. The only reason to ski is because it feels so good when you stop. lol

Carol said...

What's your plans for this trip Ivy?

Carol said...

More dam moccasins?

Ivy Green said...

Don,
Life's a game. Football is serious.

Ivy Green said...

"What's your plans for this trip Ivy?"

Carol,
Drinkin' coffee and sittin' with the folks. Used to involve cigarettes, but they finally gave that up.

jan said...

Ivy, I am happy for you and for Ingram who got the Heisman tonight. I was rootin for Colt McCoy - I'm a UTA grad - but you are much fonder of football- I think Ingram deserved it.

Ivy Green said...

Weather permitting, there will be more moccasins.

Ivy Green said...

Jan,
Thanks...Coach will have his hands full keeping them humble between now and the championship.

jan said...

Don, love the link to Menorah's.

Ivy Green said...

Jan,
Compared to my brother and his devotion to the Dallas Cowboys, I am a lightweight in football fan-dom.

Carol said...

Have you noticed how complicated shopping for candy canes has gotten? They have the regular candy canes, cherry canes, Jolly Rancher candy canes, Jelly Belly candy canes, Sweet Tart candy canes. I spent 20 minutes trying to make up my mind and finally settled on the
Sweet Tart candy canes and there was only one box left and most of the canes were broken. My luck.

jan said...

"The only reason to ski is because it feels so good when you stop."

Ivy, I agree. I used to ice skate, ski, and water ski and now I am perfectly happy to sit on the sidelines and watch. I don't like to be cold anymore. Every so often I think I would like to try cross-country skiing again but have lived where I can do that - and have not done it yet.

Carol said...

I got a new pledge in my email today:

I pledge allegiance to The Saints, and to the great city of New Orleans; and to The Super Bowl, for which we will win; One city, below sea level, under God; with Mardi Gras & alcohol for all. AMEN! ....WHO-DAT?!...GEAUX SAINTS

jan said...

Carol, it is fun to see your enthusiasm for the Saints.

jan said...

Ivy, I was shopping and missed the announcement of the Heisman. Great story about Mark Ingram and his dad.

Carol said...

They finally deserve it Jan. I've been waiting for a long, long time. We play the
Falcons tomorrow.

jan said...

Carol,
What are you talking about - moccasins?

jan said...

Carol, we usually root for the Saints.

Ivy Green said...

Jan,
The "werewolf" character from New Moon is hosting SNL. He's pretty good. The bit they just did with Kristin Wiig (the lady who can't keep a secret) was hilarious.

jan said...

Sorry I missed that. Must look and see if it is on now. When Jacob (werewolf) took off his shirt the first time in the movie, there were a whole bunch of girls and women who went "ooowww" It was so funny.

jan said...

I am going to see about SNL and then off to bed. Good nite all.

Carol said...

I'm watching Ivy. Where did he learn all the acrobats? They are also having some fun with Tiger. Did you see the skit where the three scandal ridden politicians were complaining about the media no longer being interested in their affairs.

Ivy Green said...

Carol,
Tiger has blown all the other sex scandals out of the water.

Ivy Green said...

Jan,
Do you know the answer to Carol's question about where "Jacob" learned his acrobatics? I don't know that much, only that Miss College said he was "a little kid" in the first movie and in New Moon he "grew up."

Carol said...

Those other guys can't hold a candle to Tiger. I think Sanford will be the most disappointed. He really seemed to get off the describing his. He almost had an orgasm on TV when he first fessed up. I thought I was listening to a Harlequin romance novel.

Anonymous said...

Ivy,
The funny thing is I don't watch sports. I'm just not a spectator type.

Carol said...

"What are you talking about - moccasins?"

Jan, I'm sorry I didn't see your question. Ivy told us the other day that she likes to go to the Dam store when in Colorado and get a pair of dam moccasins. I was asking if she was going to get some more dam moccasins when she goes to Colorado in Jan. It's a store by the Dam, I didn't misspell my curse words here. Those are about the only words I do know how to spell but just in case I forget, I do have the urban dictionary bookmarked.

If you didn't see Ivy's dam link for the Dam store I think I have it bookmarked. They had some dam good prices and the dam shipping was also pretty dam reasonable. This kinda dam fun in the dam morning, especially when I've overslept and have a little dam headache.

Carol said...

Don, I don't care for watching sports either. I have to feel some real connection to a team to do it. Then you would think I'm the world's best fan. If the team plays awful, I'm out. The Saints, this year certainly do qualify. I also enjoyed watching Alabama, except when they beat LSU, because they are Ivy's team and she is such a big fan.

I'm hoping the Saints are in the Super Bowl so I can get excited about that but someone else will have to have the party. I can only handle one every six months.

Anonymous said...

The dam store as seen from Google. It sits right on the Big Thompson river, a roaring river cascading down through the river.
Dam Store

Here's the satellite view.
Dam Store Satellite

Carol said...

This one looks to be one that's worth setting your clock for except that we have clouds and early morning fog conditions forecasted.

Geminid Meteor Shower: Rising Star

Ivy Green said...

Carol,
If you have your TV tuned to the CBS Sunday Morning show, they are now broadcasting a story about Mark Ingram and his father.

Carol said...

I have been busy doing all my chores Ivy. Just checked in.

Carol said...

Ivy, I do have a question for you since your husband is in the insurance business. I just went home to wash clothes and the neighbor caught me. Seems an oak tree on the side of my property fell over and hit the fence that goes around their pool. I'm going to try to find my tree man to go take care of it.

The questions is, whose responsible for the damage. It's has been my understanding that the owner of the fence's insurance would cover it. If not, I just lost out of some money since the tree of an untra rich oil guy in my neighborhood jumped out of a field he owns and smashed a small storage shed, and everything in it, in the back in the corner of my property. My homeowners is like $1000 deductable so I didn't claim it.

Carol said...

I'm not talking about the tree but the fence. It just uprooted and fell over since it is so wet. There is standing water everywhere here.

Carol said...

I recently had the scary looking trees taken down.

Ivy Green said...

Carol,
It sounds like "the swamp" has relocated itself to your old place.

I will get Hubs over here to read your question and reply. Right this moment, he's carving up a chicken.

Ivy Green said...

Carol this is Hubs typing - This could go a few different ways. Assuming that the tree belongs to you and the fence belongs to your neighbor, the neighbors insurance will probably pay for the fence just like as if a windstorm blew the fence down. But then the neighbors insurance company could "subrogate" against you if there is some reason to believe you were negligent in the care of the tree (i.e. very wet soil, limbs should have been trimmed, etc.). I'm not in the homeowners insurance biz, so the practicalities of how this would actually work may vary. It could also be that the cost is under the deductible and that's all your neighbor is looking for. Hope this helps.

Ivy Green said...

Carol,
This is Ivy again after reading what Hubs wrote and what you wrote again. When did the ultra rich guy's tree fall on your shed? See if you can go back through the claim process with your insurance and get them to subrogate against the ultra rich guy's policy. Maybe you can recover your deductible.

Carol said...

That tree from my rich neighbors field broke off half way up the tree and it jumped into my yard. That was earlier this year and too late to do anything about now.

My tree that fell just uprooted. It's a oak tree with shallow roots.

Game's about to start. I'll have to look up the Falcon's record. I don't think it was very good this year. I hope the Saints don't dilly dally around like last week.

Carol said...

Ivy, thank Hubs for me.

Carol said...

I called my neighbor and told them to send me the bill for any fence repair. I don't want to be a crappy neighbor. It doesn't look like it has much damage. The biggest cost will be for me to get the tree off and out of there.

Ivy Green said...

Carol,
Did your agent tell you it was too late for a claim?

You are a good neighbor. I hope they will return your kindnesses one day.

Carol said...

I never told my insurance or that neighbor Ivy. There house is not close. The property next door is a field.

I did get some help to clean out some of the tree, I did a good bit myself, but the smashed storage shed is kind of a sculpture in the corner of the back yard. It goes well with my overall theme. My green pool accents the theme. I don't have a title for the theme yet and it will probably be something I will have to find in the urban dictionary.

I think I'm going to get a pool place to clean my pool and then convert it to salt water. I don't think algea likes salt water and I fought it all summer and could never get ahead of it.

My neighbors, next door, are nice people. She's a rad tech and he works for some company as a gofer. That's what he told me. He's a good ole boy who likes camping, fishing, hunting. He must do most of their grocery shopping since that's usually where I run into him.

Coreen said...

Carol, another heartstopper, but your guys did it again....

Its been a rainy, foggy day here, kind of lazy
too...

Have you gathered all your supplies for the party...

Anonymous said...

LOL Carol!
That salt water idea sounds like a good one. (I have no idea if it works or not though) :) If it's very expensive to do that, why don't you bids from some pool people to come in twice a month for the upkeep. Tell them you don't use it, so you want the minimum to keep it from turning green. The bids are free anyway.

I agree, you are a good neighbor. Who knows, they may not even charge you. But whatever happens, at least you know you did a good thing.

Carol said...

The Saints seem to want to make their games exciting. A little too exciting for me. I just heard that they play the Cowboys next Saturday night. Yuk, that's the night of the party. I guess no Christmas music. Well, I can turn the sound down on the game and play the music anyway but no Karaoke since I would need the TV for that.

I was listening to the game on a little portable radio because I've been out working. I just got back from giving the Magster a bath. She was overdue. I tried to give her a haircut also but she pulls this screaming act like I just cut off one of her paws.

I have most of the food except things that need to be purchased at the last minute. I have my decorations up and changed out the outside lights that I stepped on and broke over the last year. They held up pretty well.

I pressure washed the deck. It was getting slippery from build up of algae on it. I'm making my BBQ sauce and can freeze it. Trying to do everything that I can do early. I'm pooped.

Carol said...

It would cost more to have a pool place keep up the pool than to change it to salt water. They use so many chemicals that they eat up the liner. They don't care because they get to put in the new liner.

The biggest cost of conversion is adding something to the pump, about $1500 and then the salt, which is not too bad. My neighbor said they are very happy since they did it. She told me that today. I talked to someone at Sams one day that said the same thing.

Anonymous said...

Carol, I'm glad you talked about that. If we ever put in the swim spa we'd talked about in the past, I'll know to go with salt.

Glad to hear you've got your party preparation under control. You're an amazing person, the way you get so much done.

Anonymous said...

The talk about turning into a pumpkin made me go back and check out a couple of things about Cinderella (I have no idea why). I'd never thought that much about the moral of the story, for some reason. I mean, it's been around so long, that I never gave it much thought whatsoever, at least for a very long time.

One thing I will hang onto now though, is the moral of the story: "Beauty is a treasure, but graciousness is priceless. Without it nothing is possible; with it, one can do anything."

I don't think I would have come up with that on my own, but I like it a lot. I'm always looking for new ways to look at things. That's what's so great about the swamp.

Mary said...

Attention any Plumbers or people who know plumbing.

I need more water in my toilet bowl. It used to have the right amt. but for some reason now there is just a tiny amt. in it. I've tried adding water to the tank and the bowl but that didn't work. Do I need to adjust something in the tank?? I tried looking up my problem on the net but can't find an answer. HELP!!!

Chloe,
I can just imagine how much fun it is to have a cute little Emma during the Christmas season. Has she been enjoying the lights and decorations. Not to sound like a broken record but I do hope we get a Christmas picture of Emma.

jan said...

Carol, thanks for answering my question about the moccasins.

jan said...

Don, thank you for posting the links to the dam store. So cool. I am planning a trip to Colo in the next couple of months so will definitely pay a visit there.

Ivy, thank you for telling us about the Dam store.

jan said...

Looks like a dam good place ti visit.

jan said...

Chloe, are you talking about the swim spas that are pretty small and have a some kind of blower that gives you the effect of actually swimming in a big pool?

jan said...

Since we are all talking about house/tree problems, when we bought our house 3 years ago, we had to buy a new washing machine. I bought one of the front loading ones and have never been happy with it. I don't think I am getting enough water in it to rinse clothes well. I actually run the clothes through another wash cycle (with no soap) to get them rinsed well - which defeats the purpose of this type of machine. I have really regretted buying it. I have a lot of problems lately with itchy skin and wonder if I am still not getting all the soap out - I use an ecological soap and use very little. If anyone has any suggestions, I welcome them.

jan said...

Carol, I have been rootin every game for your Saints - but don't know what I will do next week as all the men in my family are Dallas Cowboy fans. Mucho big problema.

Carol said...

Just heard:

"Accenture has announced that it will not continue its sponsorship agreement with Tiger Woods."

Carol said...

I didn't see your posts Jan. Sorry. You must root for the Dallas team for your boys. Unless you're feeling a little rebellous next week. Of course, you're all going to be disappointed, I hope.

I've never liked the Cowboys. I think it is because so many other people always did.

I'd contact the company for that washer. Those front loader aren't cheap. Maybe it is something wrong with the machine. Are they suppose to use less water?

Ivy Green said...

Carol,
Today was bath day for our Megster also. Hubs did the bathing, I did the blow-drying and combing. Mine was the worse chore for the same reason you described. Plus it took nearly two hours. Meg's fur gets tangled and matted, but it is essential to get it dry because she has skin allergies and is prone to "getting moldy." I have to go slow so as not to pull her skin; she is ultra-sensitive. Poor thing is pooped out in her day bed from the ordeal.

Ivy Green said...

Also, I got the electric clipper on her and clipped too close in some spots. She looks very "patchy." Still, I'd rather do her myself because the groomers do not have the patience for her. I think they are the ones who made her skittish about grooming. She never used to be a problem when she was younger.

Ivy Green said...

Jan,
Thanks for commenting about the front-loading washers. I was thinking about getting one next time, but I will think twice now.

Carol said...

Maggie has never seen a professional. She can't have anything around her neck and they use that little neck loop.

Maggie always looks patchy when I cut her. I just call it the new punk look and that I had to pay extra for it. I use scissors because just the sound of the clippers and it's all over.

Ivy Green said...

Mary,
Solar will likely check in and field your plumbing question. He is the expert. Hubs is just an amateur, but he did remark there's something inside the tank that can be adjusted. He called it the "thingy" but there are lots of "thingys" that fit the description of "thingy."

Carol said...

I called Mary and talked her thru a little adjustment that I knew about. I think it helped a little. There are so many different types of guts for toilets.

Ivy Green said...

Jan,
I will be interested to hear about your plans for your Colorado trip.

Mary said...

Ivy,
Thanks for the info. Carol did call and tell me something to do which seemed to help a little. I had to unscrew this screw on top of this "thingy". I think Solar might have disappeared again.

rezdog said...

Hey you'all just stopped by to see what's up and to say hello. Quiet most everywhere.

btw Ivy, we groom our dogs (goldens) most of the time to save $$. And we have to use a detangler or otherwise it's rough on them and us. It's called "Ice on Ice" and we get ours from the vendors at the show every so often but I think it's available online. We swear by it.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary,
Is the little hose that runs from the fill valve over to the overflow tube connected?

While the tank is refilling, the water is split. Some of the water flows through that tube over to the long overflow tube, which is usually connected to the flapper valve. That's what fills your bowl.

Some of the rim jets (holes) in the top of the bowl could be plugged too. Is your water very hard?

Here's a photo of the parts. toilet parts

Ivy Green said...

Rez,
I am always on the lookout for "what works." I will look for "Ice on Ice."

What I've been using is a product called "Cowboy Magic." It's good stuff, but it still takes a bronco buster to get through my pups' tangled manes. lol

Cowboy Magic

Anonymous said...

Where are you planning on going Jan? Mid winter is a rough time to go, especially out in the plains area. The mountains are beautiful but can be tricky.

My favorite time is late April into May. Lots of things going on all at once.

Carol said...

Well, I just found out the Saints-Cowboys game is on NFL network Saturday so it won't be on my TV out here. Karaoke is back and radio will be available.

Mary said...

Don,
I don't think my water is very hard. It's about medium. Not soft or hard. I'm not on city water. My water is always very clean looking and sometimes smells strong of chlorine.
I usually clean the bowl with a brush and scrub up under the rim. Would that keep the holes from plugging up? Carol told me about unscrewing this screw that was on top of this long bar thats attached to that black bulb. That helped some but I could still use more water.

Anonymous said...

That's probably letting the tank fill longer, allowing more water into the bowl. Is the tank filling to near the top of the tube?

Mary said...

Well, the water is low again. No, the tank isn't filling to near the top of the tube. Is it supposed to? It doesn't look like much water is running into the bowl either. How do you clean the holes under the rim? I can't even see them.

Anonymous said...

It's not the holes. The water isn't running long enough to fill the bowl, or the tanks from what I've heard.

The screw at the top that you were adjusting sets the height of the float. It's been a long time since I've adjusted it, but the higher the float when it closes the flapper valve the more water in the bowl and tank. I'm more used to bending the arm than turning a screw, but that probably isn't good.

So Carol probably had you going in the right direction.

Just make sure the water doesn't get so high that it starts flowing over the top of the overflow tube, then it will never shut off.

Mary said...

Thanks a bunch. I'm going to work on what you have told me and see if I can get it fixed or at least better.

jan said...

Ivy, this machine is supposed to save on water - but I never see any water sloshing when it is running. When I have used the machines at the laundromat (I take the little doggie rugs there) I see some water sloshing in the front loading machines - so thats why I am concerned.The clothes do get very wet but I think for rinsing you need to see some water in there.

Also, when I fold clothes my hands always feel really strange afterwards like there is a soap residue. I never felt that when I had my previous machines.

jan said...

Ivy & Rez, we are thinking of driving to Wellington, CO in January. I know it is a bad time of the year to drive there. We are expecting a grandson the last of Dec. and they will not be coming here until Feb. I am making them a baby quilt and want to take it to them. I suppose we will just see what the weather forecast is before we drive there - and pray.

jan said...

Ivy, I bet you also are pooped out after bathing your Magster. What kind doggie-parents you both are to bathe her yourself since she is so sensitive. How big is she?

jan said...

Carol, I usually root for the cowboys. When I was living in Arlington,TX I got tickets for a Cowboy game and took all 3 boys and their wives on Thanksgiving day. I think that was in 1988 and the Cowboys were doing really bad so it was easy to get tickets. It was also about the time that Jones first bought the team and fired Tom Landry and hired Jimmy Johnson to coach. Everyone in Dallas and the surrounding area hated Jones and Johnson. Needless to say there were some empty seats. We had a good time though and my boys were so happy.

jan said...

Nite all

Anonymous said...

Jan,
Wellington won't be bad once you get there. If you're going up I-25 Castle Rock will be the riskiest.

Colorado has started out cold this year, but Ft. Collins is up in what's called the banana belt. It's the warmest area in Colorado. Don't trust the weather reports. Take a full kit and a bag if kitty litter with you. Weather is very unpredictable that time of year.

Carol said...

Jan, what year did you go back to Texas and how old were the boys then? They were old enough to have wives.

Hey, the three of us drove to Colorado in the dead of winter. Probably January. We were young girls, well a hell of lot younger. We didn't stop and it took about 24 hours to get to Colorado Springs. We stopped in Denver and then on to Steamboat.

I think I drove at least twice up there. I don't know when the second time was or who went with me. All I remember is that I did it when I had that little white Mustang. I went to Sears to buy some snow chains. I'm glad I did because we had to stop at some point and put them on before we could go any farther.

What was weird about skiing is that even though I could only go once every year or so, I still remembered how to ski. I always thought that I probably forgot how. I did always take a lesson the first day, just in case.

And when I was headed down the mountain, using my modified snow plow, I thought I was going as fast as the wind. One time they filmed us during the lesson. I might have thought I was going fast but the video proved otherwise. It looked like I was moving in slow motion. It was reality shock.

The very last time I skied was a little over 10 years ago. My neice lived in Vail. It was right before I finally realized I had that hyperthyroid. My large muscles were extremely weak, a symptom of hyperthyroid that I didn't recognize as being a significant symptom.

I got to the top of one run and my quads were so weak that I prayed that if God would let me make it down the mountain I promised to exchange my next day's lift ticket for a full body massage. I made it and I needed it. No desire to ever ski again.

Carol said...

Coreen, isn't it getting about time for your Christmas decoration pics. And Chloe, we need your Christmas Emma pic. Ivy, do you dress up the pups in Christmas gear? That would be nice too. Anyone?

jan said...

Don, thanks for the info on driving to Wellington, CO. I worked for the State Dept of Health there and spent a lot of time on the road. I always carried kitty litter, a sleeping bag, etc. in the car. I did get caught in a blizzard once around Thanksgiving between Bozeman & Billings (I lived in Billings) and it scared the crap out of me. My car stalled out and thanks to a passing motorist who stopped to help me I survived. People always stop to help there. Since then I get panic attacks whenever I am on the road and it starts to snow. John of course will drive and he is an excellent driver. We don't take chances.

jan said...

Carol, I remember that trip to Steamboat S. so well-one of my fondest memories. I am not sure I would ever have agreed to move to MT with Bob if not for that trip. I loved skiing. I don't ski any more either. Like Ivy, I don't like to be cold. Skiing is a lot of work too. I would rather get my entertainment and exercise in another way.

jan said...

Carol, I lived in Austin (in school) from 1983-87 and then taught at UT Arlington from '87-90, so 7 years in all. I felt I needed to pay back TX for all the schooling. I got the same deal for my doc educ that we did for the MS educ. TX was good to me. Loved Austin - but not Dallas.

jan said...

B. went to U of MT and married his college sweetie in 1983. T. met his wife in Alb and married in 1980, divorced in 1998 & remarried in 2001. S. had a very short marriage in Austin and then remarried a girl (in Ark) in 1991. B & T both live here in Alb - their 2 familes are close and the 2 boys golf every week. S. lives in Ark. Bob lives there too so all 3 have a parent close by.

Coreen said...

There is a new post.

jan said...

I changed my picture (avatar?). Lets see what happened