Monday, November 30, 2009

It's Official - 6 lb gain!


OK!!! It is official...time to get SERIOUS!!! Soooooo serious that I am once again going to pay to get this weight thing under control!

After Turkey Day is now over - I hopped on the scale and after the scale stopped moaning (ha ha) - I found out that I gained 6 lbs since I stoped going to Weight Watchers last year at this time(affectionately called Fat Club in my family).
I work out like a maniac daily however, my portions are obviously sized like a maniac also!!!!!!!

I will not head back in that direction and I could still stand to lose more so this is my deal with myself!
I am re-joining WW tonight after work at the 5:00PM mtg in Greentree.

I will get down to at least size 8 before I quit but hopefully at that point I will be a lifetime member and maintain that weight....so, there it is in writing!

Back to Fat Club and I CANNOT WEIGHT TO GET THERE!!!!!!!! (get it?!??!?!)

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy and Safe Thanksgiving to all my blogger friends!!!!!

Make it a safe and fun one...

Monday, November 23, 2009

My first turkey

I am not cooking Thanksgiving this year...nor any year so far in all my 24 (errrrr 41) years! We will be going to my sisters house and her and my mother are the cooks this year.

Last year I assisted my sister in putting butter cubes in the turkey slits and we had an oven fire.....not good with a house full of people...LOL. I think I am in charge of entertainment until dinner! Ha!

So, I am getting a free turkey from the grocery store for spending a certain amount of money and decided this would be the perfect thing to bring to our friends holiday party - I will supply the turkey. However, that is not until Dec15th and I need at least ONE practice turkey before then, right???

So, I bought a 20 lb turkey last week (they were one sale for 40 cents a pound) and cooked it over the weekend - with real hoimemade stuffing too!!!! swear I did it all myself and wait till you see how great it turned out!!!! I WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED AND WALT LOVED IT!!!! Here it is with the traditional homemade sage stuffing before and after roasting and also a cute pic of the babies under the tree!!!!!!!!!!
PS-If anyone tells you you cannot roast a 20 lb. turkey in a dollar store tinfoil roaster ($1.00) they are wrong!!!!!!! :0
PSS-Only issue now is that the OCD in me hates that my oven is actually getting dirty inside.:0

Before cooking...




After...
Two of my babies........


Friday, November 20, 2009

Show us Your Life Pets!!

Today at Kelly's Korner it is all about pets!!!
Yippee - my favorite subject!!! CATS CATS CATS
I got my biggest baby Lucky when I was first married (15 years ago and long since divorced). Lucky has been with me through everything. When things got really rough for me and I wanted to give up (major depression and addictions) I kept going on because I realized that noone would take care of Lucky if I was gone (she was only nice to me - attacked everyone else...LOL).
Long story short - we made it through to the other side...stronger and more determined than ever to have an amazing, god-filled, addiction-free life!!!!! Yippee!!! Lucky is a tabby that loves to drink out of the tub when it is running and she does not AT ALL fear the vacuum cleaner. She is a spitfully mean little girl and very protective of me (her mommy).
About four years ago I got the twins. There are such babydolls....brother and sister (Kidrock and Angelica).
Kidrock is an amazing boy - he loves to snuggle (in and out of bed all night) and can open closets with his paws. He also constantly teases and tortures the girls(Lucky and Angelica).
Angelica is a sweet and playful girl...she does not sit still and will not cuddle with anyone but her brother. She is sooo fun and spirited and loves a good game of chase!
I love all my babies but that special affection will always be strongest for Lucky because of what she and I went through together!!!!!
If Angel and Kid are reading this---just kidding - I love you all the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here they are.....

Kidrock

Lucky (not sure why this is sooo small)
Angelica (exact clone of Kidrock except her nose is black)
The twins snuggling....






Thursday, November 19, 2009

Fa La La La La Prep

Here is a little Christmas prep!!!



I love love love the holidays and here are just the beginning of the decorations for this holiday!!!

My little patio!!! Left up the harvest flag till next week!!!


A little decor...

A little more...


A little more...

And lastly my very first "not real pine" tree...it is growing on me - can only decorate the top 2/3 due to cat issues...they steal the ornaments and run with them!!! LOL
Since this picture I have also added a ton of candy canes to the tree too!!
















Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Loving the Miracles in life


I love blogging because it brings those little "God things" and coincidences and miracles soooo close for EVERYONE to witness.

I have watched many, many people recover from a seemingly helpless and hopeless state of addiction and when you see it; it is AMAZING!!! That is one of the blessings of sponsoring others in recovery!

It is such a miracle to be present when that light comes on and the newcomer "gets it"!!!
I love blogging because these miracles happen everyday to a lot of people in a lot of walks of life...no just addicts, etc.

I want to share with EVERYONE this story because when I read it today I just started sobbing.....makes you TOTALLY realize and believe 100% (if even for that one moment) that there really is someone else in charge and we just have to share what is on our hearts with him and great things will come to pass.

Please read this and you will see what I mean...I hope you ENJOY!!!!
And keep your eyes and ears out - the miracles happen everyday ALL over the world if we look for them and are open to them!!!!!!! Congrats to the Staffords also!!!!!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Sold Out!!


Okay!! It is official!!!! I am finally a sell out!!!

I was (as of last year) the last of our family (Parents and three siblings included) to purchase a REAL tree for Christmas.

Everyone else went out sometime in the past five years and bought one of those plastic, icky, pseudo trees to decorate.

Well, this is the year I finally sold out!!!!!

Yesterday I went and bought an icky, plastic pseudo tree. It is prelit (saved massive time on decorating) and needs nothing to eat or drink (no more water for the cats to slosh onto the condo rug!??!?!?!?) And, aside from a few stray pieces of plastic it will not shed.

So - all in all - I am a very happy fake tree owner this year (I will be happier next year when I dont have to spend ANY money at all and just get it out of the box)...saving money too?!?!??!?!

I am going to stop on the way home from work today and invest in A LOT of pine scented candles or maybe just some pine cuttings to decorate with here and there - I think the smell is what I will miss the most - aside from sap covered cats!!! LOL

What is your preference?????? Truth be told, I STILL prefer real however there are just toooo many pros to ignore purchasing a fake tree!

I will have pics tomorrow!!!!!!!!! Yippee - I love the holidays!

Friday, November 13, 2009

TGIF Update!




I was just sitting thinking about my post today. After having not posted for days, I go and leave an ungrateful, knarly post about about poor me poor me poor me.


Let me please update that......


I am soooo happy and grateful to be alive and life-filled today - not numb and out of it!


I am soooo grateful to have an amazing job, with an amazing boss and amazing company!!!!


I am sooo grateful to have a man in my life that loves me unconditionally!!!


I am sooooo grateful that I and my family and friends all have our health today!!!


I am soooooo grateful it is Friday!


So, call my last post UPDATED and please hear me praising the big Man above and ALL he does for me on a daily basis that I forget to acknowledge!!!


Thank you!


Thank you!


WOW!! TGIF!

WOW!! This has been a really looong and crazy week!! My boss is out of town and work has beeen nuts!!! Appologies to all for not posting in a week - wow - long time hugh?
On a fun note: Tuesday was Waliacha's Bday - he is the biiiiig 47!!!!!
He has been teased constantly by me about his age this week - LOL!
Also, things have been a little stressed as he is currently searching fo remployment (and I mean searching).
There is nothing out there at all for employment these days - it is scaryyyyyy - companies know that the economy is hurting and they are offering jobs at like 7.50 and 9.50 an hour....that's insane!!
Something has got to change!!!!!!!!
Oh well, enough of me...
Have a great weekend all!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS - even though I have not posted I have been reading all yours!!! Thanks for the much needed entertainment and enlightenment for the week! LOVE YA ALL!!!!!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Help!!

Ok - all you bloggers out there -

Help!!!!!

I am trying to be a lively part ofthe blogging community and leave comments.

I cannot figure out how to comment when it say Post comments (Atom)

It wont work for me although regular comments allow me...help!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Show Us Your Life - Dried Cherry Stuffing and Cookie Baking

I am participating in Show Us Your Life - Thanksgiving Recipes and Traditions at Kellys Korner.

This is from a friend that says this is the best stuffing EVER!!!

I will be trying it this year...I hope she is right and it becomes a yearly staple.

Just thought I would share with y'all!!!




Ingredients
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
6 celery stalks, finely diced
2 medium onions, finely diced
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and toasted (10 cups)
1 cup dried cherries
3/4 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, cooked, and crumbled
3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth
Directions
Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onions and cook until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
In a large bowl or pan, combine the celery and onions with the bread, cherries, sausage, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add the broth and stir until well combined.
Using a large spoon, loosely stuff the mixture into the turkey just before roasting. Cover and bake any unused stuffing in a 325° F oven for 1 hour; uncover and bake for 15 minutes more. Serve warm.




As for the cookie baking...every Thanksgiving as a family (my two sisters, me, mom and sister-in-law) spend at least two days of Thanksgiving on baking our christmas cookies...we mix and bake about 15 different kinds and dozens and dozens of each (ie: buckeyes, peanut butter kisses, twisted candycanes, gingersnaps, etc.). I think we did over 100 dozen last year!!! Then we split them up between all of us and we have cookies to take to peoples homes and give as gifts and of course eat ourselves also!!!!!!!


The kids all fight to be the one to unwrap the Hershey's kisses!! LOL


Longing for the holiday as I type this!!!!!!


Happy Holidays to all!!!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Halloween Party - just a few pics...

Here they are - finally! Pics from the party last Friday night!

Here is Theo..Steve's kid....great spooky one, hugh?

Then Waliacha and I in full makeup - this lasted about 20 mins at the party - it was sooooo itchy on our faces!
This was Balloon boy - get it?!??! But the boy left and we put Mindy's dog in the box instead! LOL

And here is the ghost of Michael Jackson - - wasn't me....


That's all I got - my photography falls off horribly when I am having fun!!
Next post - family visit last weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ICU Nurse it is

 Hi everyone!! I am just here checking in quickly. I almost feel bad checking in as it has been an eternity since I posted!!! UGH! Life has ...