Sudokuaholics Anonymous 10

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
fa la la la la la la la la.
'tis the season to be jolly,
fa la la la la la la la la.

Theresa, thinking of you and your family. I truly hope that 2012 is a better year for all of you.

I didn't think Chanukah started until tomorrow.
Theresa, hope your son IL is ok and your MIL too.
2011 hasn't been a kind year for you and your family.

Theresa.... I wholeheartedly agree.... It's time for 2011 to end. It's been way too nasty. I hope your SiL improves quickly, and that they can finally keep a pacemaker in place in MiL.

I loaded up all the pressies in my truck and drove to E-town to ship them (30 minutes each way), only to discover that the package shipping place I've used for years has gone out of business. So now I have to search for boxes to pack the gifts in, and ship them myself. This other place would compare everybody's rates and ship them the best way for you.

At least the trip wasn't a total loss. I finally picked up a christmas tree. A nice 6' Balsam for only $10.

Brenda, Chanukah does start tomorrow but it was easier to celebrate with my family last night. Brother owns a jewelry store and it is hard during the week. His girlfriend celebrates Christmas so that eliminates next weekend.

I need to feed hay to the cows now, and my back says "NO!". This should be interesting.

Sandy just set a new record. She's 6 weeks and 2 days old, and she just came in through the dog door by herself!!! She is probably the brightest dog I've ever seen. She's scary smart.

OK ... cows fed. Now I take an hour's break for the back, then find some boxes, pack up the pressies, and mail them tomorrow. It's really too late to do it today.

Heidi, hope the back holds out for you. Sandy does sound like an amazing puppy. She has definitely chosen you.

Hi All.... Holiday season seems to be in full gear for most of SA folks....Have fun..Suzanne, hope your funny weather doesn't last much longer.
Tami,love the Hanukkah avatar mixed with the Christmas trees at the top... I'm seeing more and more of our Jewish neighbors putting out lighted Stats of David, Hanukkah flags and lighted candles this season since the two holidays are so close this year...I enjoy seeing the mix...
Heidi, Sandy sounds super smart and adventurist...enjoy that sweetie. Hope the back pain means that signals of the most affected areas show up on the MRI on the 24th, and the doctors will have a better picture for the possible surgery.
Theresa...you were on my mind this week, and I was wondering how things were going for you and your...I see they remain bad...wish I could do something other to send words of support and wishes for improvement to come to your family quickly. Sure hope you will be able to find some of the joy and peace of the season in your life soon.
Hey CynB...Love all of that good sounding fruit no matter what you folks call it! LOL.
Suzy , good to hear that those pricey bananas have now come down where you don't need to cash in bank notes or stock to buy them...Enjoy!
Hi Brenda...I too have heard of your name for eggplant, but not too hard to figure it out...
Gail, W/o Julie here seems no one was able to really bring you up to speed so guess you have to do what we do...catch up best you can...glad you made it this far..
All is well here, Erza continues to enthrall all of us here...so much fun to have a new baby in the house at this time of the year.....but glad I don't have to contend with him except when it suits me...Motherhood is great, honorable and hard as the devil....glad I have reached this level in life!
Okay folks, off to the jigsaws...see you when I return...Make the remaining days before the holidays meaningful for that person in your mirror, so that you can find the best of you! Peace.

Heidi, I do wonder about you finding boxes at your house to ship Christmas Presents in. I do know what Gil receives daily in boxes, eeewww.

Mamacita, I have lights that I sometimes put up. I haven't got around to it this year, yet.

I would never use one of IH's boxes. They tend to have unusual aromas.

Hi folks...
Just popped in to say that I think of you all often..even if I do not get to read or post very often.
It has been a year of great changes for many..if not all.. of us. Some good and some the exact opposite. It has strengthened the ties that bond us all and I consider myself so lucky to have found this special haven in cyberspace.

Love and hugs to everyone.

Hi everyone. Nothing exciting happening here,same old same old. Have an Avon order arriving Thursday so will be a busy bee with that delivering it Friday and Saturday.
Christmas lunch at SIL place as usual.
Being borderline diabetic and having to lose 8kg in weight I will be a good girl with what I eat Christmas day. I lost 2.3kl in the first week and 1kl last week. Have changed my eating completely and must now do this for the rest of muy life. It will help my high cholesterol and high blood pressure so that is something.

Ok, I am caught up now, and am happy and sad at what I have read! What is it with inlaws (or outlaws as I call them!)? Why can't people compromise, especially at this time of the year. June, I am gathering this woman has no idea of the effect she had on your family last year? Stupid woman!
Glad that Tami, Rolanda and MizT had wonderful family celebrations.
Our trip to my outlaws on the weekend was lovely too, got to meet my SIL-IL's (brother=in-law's wife, so I consider them inlawinlaws!) family and they are as whacky as hubby's family, so all in all it was good fun.

I had the best dinner last night of leftovers from our party. I had ham, sweet potatoes, spinach salad, and black eyed peas. I think I have dressing, turkey, cranberry sauce and coke (as Coca Cola) salad, a congealed salad, left over for dinner tonight. I was careful to take only one serving of each thing I brought home, or by myself I would be eating this stuff till the new year

Talked to daughter #1 today for 2 hours, she had to go get another phone call, then phoned back and talked another 2 hours! I think we caught up on a lot of things. she is facing a surgical procedure in January and wishes it could be sooner. Her windpipe hardens, and narrows, she gets very short of breath by time another procedure is needed. Appointment is Jan 3 for an exam, with the procedure to come later than month, hopefully.

Grandson was home today, not feeling well, just a cold probably. It is hard to tell with an autistic child, he cannot tell them what is wrong, but he has learned to say he is not happy, that is an improvement. He was playing in the floor of his mother's sewing room while we chatted, then managed to get the bobbin thread on her machine, and pull it. Of course the bobbin unwound, probably made a noise and perhaps he could see it go around and around, so he pulled all the thread off it! Such fun! Till Mom told him he had to leave the room, and playing with the machine was not a choice. He got upset enough I heard him over the phone. Took Mom a bit to distract him to something else. she is very good with him, I am amazed.

Today was sunny and warm, I should have been outside more, it is forecast to rain for the next 4 days. I did do the sloshy thing, and hung some things outside. The small things went into dryer.

OOOPS, I just found this here from earlier, unsent. Better late than never, eh?

Today is a day of very mixed emotions. We got two bits of news yesterday and yet another today, a mix of good news and bad news.
The good news is that Jed and Nissa are enjoying themselves so much in America on their Contiki tour that they have extended it and will not be back home till Dec 31st.
Chloe sent me a msg from Jed's house this morning, this is part of the not so good news. She was picking up some bits that she had left there when she had a sleepover with Beth. While she was there, a signwriter stopped off and put up a For Sale sign on their front lawn! I have just been in contact with Jed, hated being the bearer of this news, and they had no idea about any of it. Not sure what will happen now because they should have got plenty of notice from the agent of the landlord's intentions so now we wait and see I suppose :(

CHRISTMAS WHERE THE GUM TREES GROW
(Val Donlon / Lesley Sabogal)
(poem)


Christmas where the gum trees grow
There is no frost and there is no snow
Christmas in Australia's hot
Cold and frosty is what its not
When the bloom of the Jackaranda tree is here
Christmas time is near

From England came our Christmas fare
They even said what Santa should wear
But here down under for summers cool
Santa should dip in a swimming pool

Christmas where the gum trees grow
There is no frost and there is no snow
Christmas in Australia's hot
Cold and frosty is what its not
When the bloom of the Jackaranda tree is here
Christmas time is near

Santa rides in a sleigh on snow
But down here where the gum trees grow
Santa should wear some water ski's
And glide around Australia with ease

Christmas where the gum trees grow
There is no frost and there is no snow
Christmas in Australia's hot
Cold and frosty is what its not
When the bloom of the Jackaranda tree is here
Christmas time is near

To ride around the bush where its dry
To cart all the presents piled so high
A red nosed reindeer would never do
Santa should jump on a kangaroo

Christmas where the gum trees grow
There is no frost and there is no snow
Christmas in Australia's hot
Cold and frosty is what its not
When the bloom of the Jackaranda tree is here
Christmas time is near

The other piece of shocking news we got yesterday was about hubby's best mate back in Adelaide. They have known each other since primary school and it was through his sister that Scott and I met in the first place.
Please keep our dear friend, John, in your thoughts. He is the same age as hubby and was diagnosed within the last year with Parkinson's disease and he has it very advanced. Yesterday when he and his wife, Marion, were in bed, John's breathing became very erratic then stopped! Marion, and their son (who only recently moved back home and thankfully had not yet left for work) were able to perform CPR until the ambulance arrived and he was rushed to hospital having suffered a massive pulmonary embolism. I spoke to her last night and of course she was in a terrible state, but she is like me, she will pull herself together and be the rock she needs to be right now, but my heart breaks for her, she said she couldn't find a pulse or anything and has never been so scared in all her life. I told her that we would be over there in a heartbeat if she wants us there, but the last thing she needs right now is people lobbing up on her doorstep until she is ready.
We had only just arrived home when I looked in on facey and saw the posts. We were walking around like zombies all evening, such a shock. Beth, bless her little heart, came over last night and cooked dinner for us, and Chloe was on the phone as well giving us her support. Our families have been so involved with each other since before our kids were born, so they really are like family to us, John is like an Uncle to our children.
Be strong John, we need you in our lives ♥
Last night he was conscious and talking, though still in terrible distress, but today I see that he is more alert so we must take comfort in this.
They will keep him in Intensive care for another day or so until they are able to break up the clot and it passes through.

Wow Gail! When it rains it pours . Prayers being said for your friends, and of course wishes for a speedy recovery.
Bean, good to see you pop in....hope you have a wonderful holiday....but with all that has gone on with you this year, I am beginning to see that your visit across the pond will remain 'on the back burner', for 2012 ....that saddens me, and I'm sure you. Such is life.

Gail ♥

Rola broke it!

Gail, positive vibes going to your friend.
Theresa, thinking of you and all your family.
Brenda, hope is Megan (?) going.
So many people need loving thoughts this Christmas.
Tricia, how nice that you have all those lovely left overs.
Suzy, hope you are having a bit of a break now school has finished. My thoughts is that you will be running Mum's Taxi service.
Lovely to see Bean call in.

Oh dear, what have I read -
Gail, my thoughts and healing vibes to John. It is so difficult to have a good friend in so much distress.
Viv - love the 'Christmas where the gum trees grow', never heard it before, is it just me?
Hi Beanie, nice to see you call in here.
Tricia - your leftovers sound yummy(except for maybe the congealed thingy, but I may have misunderstood).
Been out for dinner and gift swapping with my sis and BIL at the local pub bistro. They're heading north to spend Christmas with her daughter in Central Qld.
So love to all and goodnight for now.

Morning all. Coffee is ready. Pour yourself a cup, put up your feet, and relax.

Gail, continued hugs and good thoughts going out to you, your family and John's family. Glad to hear there is some improvement.

Bean, thanks for stopping in for a visit. Hope you can visit more often in the new year.

Cyn, the congealed salad is probably something like a Jell-o mold.

Off to go see my mom and set up her new computer for her.

That's nice of you, Tami.

What everyone else said, Gail.

Off to feed the puppies, then to do some grocery shopping.

Back from grocery shopping. This'll get me through the holidays. All except for picking up dog food tomorrow.

VynB, only one of the ingredients is cocoa cola, the " congealed" part comes from black cherry jello (jelly?) it has chunks of cream cheese and tart cherries. It is lots better than it sounds. here is a recipe that is similar, sister uses more cherries and no pineapple in her's and adds the cream cheese cut into cubes, not stirred into the hot liquid.

COCA COLA SALAD

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1943,153185-250206,00.html
Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 pkg. raspberry Jello
1 pkg. cherry Jello
1 sm. pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
1 can Bing cherries (No. 2 can)
1 sm. can crushed pineapple
1 c. nuts
1 1/2 c. hot liquid (fruit juice)
2 bottles Coca Cola (10 oz.)

Dissolve Jello in hot liquid. While hot, add cream cheese. After cool, add fruit and nuts and after well cooled add 2 bottles of Coca Cola. This amount will fill approximately 16 individual molds. Put in refrigerator to set.

The Coca Cola in the salad gives it a tang, makes it delish with meat or fowl. I used this salad with my Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner instead of the usual cranberry. Was a welcome change.

Years ago, this was a traditional dish for Christmas, it was dropped from menu when this sister in Georgia could not join us for our Christmas party. I was happy to see it back again. Maybe I need to make one just for me?? It makes a lot, perhaps not.

Full, grey, warm, damp day, but so far none of the forecast rain has found us here. Jist looked at the weather map, I should go to pharmacy now, before the rain gets to us. I left my overnight tote at sisters. It had medications in it. Most, less than a weeks supply, in one of those meds by the day compartment thingies. My medication for reflux I take at a separate time, so I just took the entire bottle, a mistake. Must get enough to do me till sister visits again.

Hi everyone. Back from parents. Computer set up but no internet. Could not get it connected. Brother sent a friend over and he is having a problem. Old computer did not need a modem, new computer does, go figure.

Tricia - thanks for the explanation, although I've never had anything quite like it, when you read the recipe it sounds much better than 'congealed'.

Just spoke to mom. Seems that new computer is not the problem but it is a network problem outside. Was told they would have internet by Friday at 6:00 pm. I have been requested for Saturday to get them online. My mom wants to go to the darkside. Should I set up a FB page for her?????

I agree that the word "congealed" sounds unappetizing at best.

I vote NO Tami, but it's your mother's call, not mine. You might want to try explaining FB security problems to her.

Hi All,
Rainy day here...Ezra had dr's appoinment today and I can't begin to tell you how much easier things were with the stroller... the hardest part was getting the stroller in my trunk since I had a lawn chair forgotten in there..smooth sailing otherwise..whoo hooo.
Miz T , the salad sounds great when the recipe is given...I think I'd like to fix it, but since its usually just me, I'd have to eat it for several days...and if I enjoy it , I'd consider taking it to my church pot lucks...just need to know if it can set well in one large bowl container rather than the individual molds and does it present well, and what type of nuts are usually used. I have had a dessert which is similar, made with crushed pretzels, cherry and strawberry jello, sliced strawberries and cherries and whipped cream mixed together and allowed to gel....great, light after dinner treat.
Tami, you are thinking of turning your mom loose on FB??? Will FB survive the two of you? If you answer yes...then go for it...lol!

Mama, my sister's sets well in one large dish, so it is more shallow than thick. You can always increase the jello or decrease the liquid to make it set firmer. Just a hint, If you opt for pineapple, NEVER use fresh pineapple in any jello, it will keep the stuff from setting up. Pecans or walnuts are most often used. Nuts can be left out , I do not think this one sister made had nuts.